When you write out a check and put it in the mail, you expect it to arrive at its proper destination and to get cashed by its intended recipient. But a number of Maryland customers recently learned the hard way that this outcome isn’t always a given.

According to WMAR-2 News, several people mailed checks and money orders from their local post offices only to learn that those payments were later altered and stolen. In fact, three customers reportedly had their checks stolen at two local post offices during the span of a few weeks.

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Darlene Mclean sent payments through the post office to cover her mortgage and a BJ’s credit card bill, but those money orders were altered and cashed by a criminal. Now, Mclean is struggling in the absence of those funds.

“I’m without money. Mortgage not paid, and now they’re coming after me,” Mclean told WMAR-2 News. “I’m suffering from it. I’m depressed behind it. I can’t sleep. I’m really upset.”

When you can’t trust the post office

John Curtis, one of the customers who had money stolen, decided to mail payments from directly inside his local post office as opposed to simply dropping envelopes into a community mailbox. Little did he know that this seemingly safer option would backfire on him, as the $323 check that he had written to pay for his insurance was reportedly changed to $900 for “equipment.”

“I put my policy number on the bottom, all of that was gone,” said Curtis, who wound up having to close his bank account and open a new one in order to re-route other payments and deposits. Curtis has a sick wife and has been in and out of the hospital himself, so this was the last thing he needed, he told WMAR-2 News.

The three customers who fell victim to the theft reportedly mailed their payments at two different post offices — Windsor Mill and Arlington Station — all within a few weeks of each other. Angela Powell sent a $420 payment to her insurance company, but she learned the next day that it had been altered to $6,250 for a supposed “college fund.”

“They took my check from Windsor Mill post office to SECU Bank in a matter of 24 hours.”

Thankfully, Curtis and Powell were both reimbursed by their banks for the missing funds, but Mclean has not yet received reimbursement for her stolen money.

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Postal authorities reviewing the situation

In response to WMAR-2 News’ request for comment, a spokesperson from the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued the following statement.

“The Postal Service takes the security of mail seriously and always promptly refers allegations of mail thefts to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Mail thefts by anyone will not be tolerated.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which investigates mail theft, also shared a statement with WMAR-2 News.

“Our Baltimore Field Office was not aware of these complaints. The theft of mail and ensuring the sanctity of the US Mail-stream is of the utmost priority to the US Postal Inspection Service. We encourage customers to mail their checks from inside of the post office if possible, or before the collection time when utilizing the blue collection boxes.”

Given that the three incidents of theft above occurred in close proximity to each other and within a short timeframe, there’s a question as to whether a postal service employee may have been the perpetrator.

The USPS Office of the Inspector General is responsible for investigating complaints of internal mail theft. Following WMAR-2 News’ request for comment, a spokesperson could not confirm an active investigation but said the OIG would review the details of the situation.

Now, the impacted customers say they’ll be making changes to the way they write their checks. Powell, who is very angry about the situation, said she’ll be writing out checks with black magic marker, which is harder to alter.

“So I can’t mail anything without being in fear of someone taking what’s inside my personal belongings?” said Powell. “Just because it’s going through the postal service, it’s still mine. You have no right to go in my mail and take out what’s in it, and they still have one of my checks to this day.”

Powell wants to press charges against the criminal who altered and cashed her check, but she’s reportedly waiting for her bank to produce images of the culprit committing the crime. Mclean, meanwhile, is working with the Maryland Volunteers Lawyer Service to work out a deal with her mortgage company. She’s now worried that her home could be foreclosed due to the missing payment.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has also increased its monetary reward to $100,000 for anyone who can provide information on mail theft that leads to an arrest and conviction.

How to avoid mail fraud

Unfortunately, it appears to be all too easy for criminals to get away with washing and altering checks in the mail. Normally, a good way to prevent this would be to mail your checks from inside a post office instead of using an outdoor mailbox, but that unfortunately didn’t work for Curtis. He mailed his check from inside the post office and still had it stolen.

That’s why it’s important to monitor your checking account regularly after writing checks. Or, better yet, see if you can send checks and payments directly from your bank.

Checks sent through a bank still go through the postal system but can be harder to alter because of the way they’re printed. Also, when you send a check through your bank directly, there’s an electronic record of the original payee. So, even if the check is stolen, you have more protection since you can prove that fraud has occurred.

If you can’t send checks directly from your bank, use a permanent black marker to write out your checks so they can’t be washed. Also, don’t leave blank spaces in the payee or amount lines.

It’s also important to protect the checks you might be receiving as those can also be stolen and cashed. In fact, it’s a good idea to collect your mail as soon as it’s been delivered — you can even buy a mailbox sensor that sends an alert when your mailbox has been opened. You may also want to install a security camera in front of your home with a visual on your mailbox to deter or catch thieves.

Additionally, you can sign up for Informed Delivery from the USPS, which sends you daily notifications by email of incoming mail and packages.

If you’re heading out of town for a while, you can arrange to have your mail put on hold by the post office. You also shouldn’t hesitate to notify the USPS Office of the Inspector General if you think you’ve been a victim of mail fraud.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.