Milton police warn residents about checks stolen from mailboxes
MILTON – Police are asking the public to watch for suspicious activity around mailboxes after 31 reports of checks stolen from mailboxes in town over the past three months.
The stolen checks are altered to be made payable for large sums and cashed at financial institutions throughout the state, police said in a Facebook post Friday. So far, more than $100,000 has been fraudulently obtained through the scheme.
Police said the thefts have taken place from the Postal Service's standard collection boxes, tamper-resistant collection boxes and residential mailboxes.
Get one, give one: Milton florist donates a bouquet to seniors for every order she fills
A truckload of holiday cheer: Milton couple haul Christmas wares on 'Mistletow' trailer
Police recommend using online banking services or hand-delivering letters directly to the post office to avoid being a victim of the thefts.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which has jurisdiction over crimes involving the mail system, also recommends placing mail in collection boxes as close to the posted collection time as possible, picking up mail promptly, inquiring about overdue mail and not mailing cash.
Thefts of checks from mail collection boxes has become a growing problem, with cases reported in Milton and Scituate in 2020. Similar thefts have taken place in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Hampshire in recent weeks.
Anyone with information regarding the thefts is asked to contact Detective Gennes Seaton at 617-898-4837 or gseaton@mpdmilton.org or Detective Valter Pires at 617-898-4837 or vpires@mpdmilton.org. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the Milton Police Department tip line anytime at 617-698-COPS.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Milton police investigating rash of mailbox thefts
