Signed, sealed, undelivered: Thieves stealing checks from South Shore collection boxes

David R. Smith, The Patriot Ledger
Updated ·4 min read
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Braintree, Weymouth and Quincy residents should think twice before dropping envelopes containing checks and cash into the blue boxes outside post offices, local police say.

In a recent post to their Facebook page, Braintree police said they have seen an increase in the number of people reporting items stolen from the mailboxes.

“The victims had mailed checks to utility companies and then realized large sums of money from their accounts (had been) withdrawn,” the post said. “The thieves will steal the mail, then alter the checks for thousands of dollars.”

The process is known as “check washing." Once thieves steal mail and find checks, they use chemicals to remove handwritten ink and replace it with different payees and amounts.

Residents in Braintree and Weymouth say their checks were stolen out of local post office collection boxes. The amount and the payee on the checks are then altered.
Residents in Braintree and Weymouth say their checks were stolen out of local post office collection boxes. The amount and the payee on the checks are then altered.

The mailboxes have security features to prevent what police described as “mailbox fishing,” a practice in which thieves use sticky bottles on strings and other methods to pull mail from the boxes.

Braintree police, however, said it was possible the thieves have access to a master key to open mailboxes.

Weymouth residents fall victim to check theft

Weymouth residents have reported similar thefts.

“FYI Watch your mail. I recently had a check stolen from the mailbox directly outside the East Weymouth Post Office,” Weymouth resident Glenna Goodnow posted to the Everything Weymouth Facebook group Aug. 29.

Like the Braintree incident, one of her checks was altered.

“I did report it to the Weymouth Post Office, but they were very lackadaisical about it,” she said.

A post to the same Facebook page four months earlier described a similar theft.

More: It may not be safe to mail checks anymore. U.S. Postal Service shares tips to fight rise in crime.

“Heads up, Weymouth folks, mailbox at East Weymouth Jackson Square post office was broken into and one of my checks made out for a car payment was stolen, washed and altered and then deposited in someone else’s account to the tune of almost $5k,” Weymouth resident Jamie Soul said in a May 22 post. “Apparently this has been happening a lot in Weymouth.”

A Quincy police spokesperson said he was not aware of any similar complaints in the city. Hingham police said they have encountered the issue in the past but have not had any recent reports of mail theft.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service weighs in

“The increase in crime throughout the country over the past several years has resulted in numerous crimes against both the mail and United States Postal Service employees,” said Josh McCallister, assistant inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston division.

The inspection service initiated 1,124 cases, made 1,258 arrests and helped convict 1,188 suspects in connection with mail theft nationally in fiscal 2022, McCallister said.

“The U.S. mail should arrive unopened, unread and intact,” he said. “When it doesn’t, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service, aggressively investigates mail theft.”

Planned security upgrades to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes

McCallister said the Postal Service is installing 12,000 high-security blue collection boxes in high-risk areas nationwide.

Upward of 49,000 electronic locks will replace antiquated Arrow locks, which allow mail carriers access to multiple collection boxes.

There also has been an increase robberies targeting letter carriers nationwide. Criminals take their Arrow keys to steal mail.

How to prevent and how to report stolen mail

The theft of checks from local post office collection boxes mirrors a growing national trend.
The theft of checks from local post office collection boxes mirrors a growing national trend.

McCallister offered the following advice on preventing and reporting stolen mail.

  • If you think your mail has been stolen, submit an online complaint at www.uspis.gov/report or call 877-876-2455.

  • Help prevent mail theft by not leaving mail uncollected in mailboxes for extended periods of time, especially overnight.

  • Track the status of incoming mail through Informed Delivery, a free service that emails customers a day or two before mail is expected to be delivered.

  • Consider paying bills online.

  • Mail checks and bill payments inside a post office.

That last bit of advice is something Jamie Soul doesn’t need to be told.

“I’ll never use a mailbox again. … Take mail into post office,” he posted. “Keep an eye on your bank accounts if you send checks in the mail.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore sees rise in stolen checks from postal collection boxes