By Mary O’KEEFE

A reader recently contacted CVW about the theft of his mail. That theft resulted in the amount of a check he had mailed being changed and cashed.

The reader, who was aware of scams and thefts, knew not to leave his outgoing mail at his home for USPS pick up. He normally walks inside the local post office to mail his letters; unfortunately, the drive through mailbox was locked so the letter that contained a check for payment was deposited in a blue mailbox in his neighborhood.

He later found the check’s amount had been altered, increasing the amount from a hundred to several thousand dollars. He received a notice from his bank notifying him that his account had been overdrawn.

The check had been washed. The signature was intact but the amount and payee was changed.

“Check washing scams involve changing the payee names and often the dollar amounts on checks and fraudulently depositing them. Occasionally these checks are stolen from mailboxes and washed in chemicals to remove the ink,” according to the USPS Inspection Services. In some cases, suspects use copiers or scanners to print fake copies of a check.

Postal inspectors recover more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders every year, according to USPS.

There are several ways checks can get into the hands of criminals from suspects simply taking letters from mailboxes to stealing letters from mail trucks.

The reader wanted to alert community members of this crime and issue a warning to be cautious when mailing checks even when using a mailbox. The resulting fallout can create a nightmare for the victim as bank accounts have to be changed, as do all financial information and related accounts.

There are some ways people can protect themselves from check washing. These include using a gel ink pen. Some ink pens, like gel pens, permeate below the surface of the paper. It is advised to ask the merchant at an office supply store what pens work best.

The USPS advises depositing outgoing mail in blue USPS mailboxes before the last pickup of the day or going into the post office; residents should never leave mail in their mailbox overnight. Those who go on vacation should make sure to ask the USPS to hold their mail or have it picked up daily by a neighbor or friend.

The altering of checks is considered forgery. Anyone who feels they have been victims of mail fraud of any kind can contact their local law enforcement agency and the USPS Inspection Services at (877) 876-2455.