Some experts have advised Americans not to mail their cheques due to an increase in crimes targeting the U.S. Postal Service.
With 305 postal carriers robbed in the first half of the fiscal year 2023, on track to surpass the 412 robberies from the same period last year, the USPS issued a warning last month that it has noticed an upsurge in attacks on letter carriers and mail fraud instances. At the same time, the postal service said that scammers are targeting mailboxes and either taking mail straight from individuals' houses or from the blue USPS collection boxes.
As seen by events reported around the country, the likelihood of mailed checks being stolen has increased due to an increase in criminality targeting postal workers and mailboxes. For instance, a criminal ring was dismantled last month after a spate of thefts from blue collection boxes in Milwaukee. A criminal complaint claims that the suspects took "arrow keys," a standard USPS key used to access mail collection boxes, and used them to steal mail, including more than 900 stolen checks.
The USPS has advised Americans to refrain from placing mail in blue collection boxes or leaving it in their personal mailboxes for a carrier to pick up due to theft concerns. The organisation is now advising clients to visit their neighbourhood post office to submit letters securely.
The recommendation to only mail cheques through the post office is shared by experts.
According to Caitlin Driscoll of the Better Business Bureau, who spoke to CBS Pittsburgh, "If you are choosing to mail a cheque, it is always recommended that you use a secure post drop such as inside a post office versus an unsecured public-facing mailbox."
Why is there a surge in mail theft?
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch that mail theft is on the rise as a result of an overall national trend of "increased crime patterns."
In 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received about 300,000 reports of mail theft, more than twice as many as in the previous year. Criminals have been known to assault postal couriers and steal their packages. In other cases, thieves use arrow keys to open post boxes and steal items including mail, checks, and cash.
The security of collection boxes was questioned after the Office of Inspector General of the Postal Service discovered in a report from 2020 that the organisation had no idea how many arrow keys were in use or how many had been stolen.
What does the USPS advise?
People should avoid letting either incoming or departing mail sit in their mailboxes for an excessive amount of time, according to the U.S. Postal Service. By just taking your mail out of your mailbox each day, you may drastically lower your risk of being a victim, the agency claimed in a statement.
Alternatively, individuals can pass their mail directly to a postal carrier. The organisation also advises people to post mail inside their local post office or at their place of employment. However, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the USPS has not yet provided any detailed instructions on mailing checks.
According to the organisation, "Our recommendations are provided as an extra precaution for those who feel more at ease taking their mail to the Post Office."
If my cheque is taken, what may happen?
"Check washing" is a method that thieves use to defraud you of your money. This entails employing chemicals to remove the writing you've made on the cheque, including the recipient's name and its value. When the payment is empty, they can add additional details, such as the amount.
One man who sent a cheque for $42 to cover a phone bill had a shock when it was accepted for $7,000 and sent to a person he had never heard of. In a another instance, Southern California law enforcement officers detained close to 60 people last year on suspicion of defrauding 750 people out of more than $5 million in cheque fraud.
How numerous check users are there today?
Although Americans still signed 3.4 billion checks in 2022, check use is falling. Even if it's less than the 19 billion checks written in 1990, fraudsters still have a lot of opportunities with this number.
