Don't mail checks using USPS blue collection boxes, Springfield police warn
SPRINGFIELD - Police in one Massachusetts city are "urging" residents not to mail checks by way of putting them in stand-alone United States Postal Service blue collection boxes.
"There has been an increase in thefts involving these types of mailboxes where checks are being stolen and then cashed potentially wiping out your bank account," the Springfield Police Department said in a statement.
Police recommend that anyone who needs to send a check either bring it right to the recipient by hand, or mail it directly from the post office.
Last month, the post office said it's seen an increase in attacks on letter carriers as well as mail fraud incidents. They said fraudsters are targeting residents' mailboxes and blue USPS collection boxes.
CBS News reports that the theft issues have prompted the USPS to advise that Americans avoid depositing mail in blue collection boxes or leaving it in their own mailboxes for a carrier to pick up. Instead, the agency is now recommending that patrons come inside their local post office to securely send mail.
Experts concur with the advisory to only mail checks at the post office.
"If you are choosing to mail a check, it is always recommended that you use a secure mail drop such as inside a post office versus an unsecured public-facing mailbox," Caitlin Driscoll of the Better Business Bureau told CBS Pittsburgh.
If a check is stolen, thieves could use a technique called "check washing" to scam people out of their money. That involves using chemicals to erase writing on the check, and then fraudulently filling in new information.
The USPS recommends that people post mail inside their local post office or at their workplace; alternatively, they can hand their mail directly to a mail carrier. However, the USPS itself hasn't issued any specific guidance on mailing checks, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service told CBS MoneyWatch.
"Our recommendations are provided as an extra precaution for those who feel more comfortable taking their mail to the Postal Office," the agency said.