Thieves stealing checks from mailboxes in Kennebunkport, nationally. What you should know.
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — Keep an eye on your mailbox: According to the Kennebunkport Police Department, mail thieves are back in the area.
The department is actively investigating complaints from residents about people who are stealing outgoing mail from their mailboxes. The incidents are in step with media reports of similar thefts being on the rise across the country.
How thieves use stolen checks and avoid detection
According to Kennebunkport police Detective Cory Tardif, thieves tend to go through envelopes residents leave in their mailboxes for their mail carriers to take away and deliver. The thieves take personal and business checks and then use computer software and other pieces of equipment to duplicate the checks, fill them out as they wish, and cash them.
“People should be mindful of online banking and keep track of the checks they’re writing,” Tardif said.
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That can be tricky, Tardif added, as thieves often will keep the dollar amount on a check the same, “in order not to raise red flags.”
That means a victim could visit their bank online, see that dollar amount and mistakenly believe that their check has been processed. Then problems begin when the intended recipient of the original check — a utility company, for example — marks a bill overdue and reaches out to the victim for a payment they think they already have made.
Banks often help cover amounts stolen, making them victims, as well, Tardif said.
Thieves also are stealing identities and using the personal information to set up credit card accounts, according to Tardif.
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Tardif said Kennebunk has experienced several of these thefts in recent years. In the spring of 2022, Kennebunkport police arrested and charged one suspected thief.
The thefts have happened throughout the community, Tardif added, but many of them seem concentrated on rural areas where multiple mailboxes are alongside each other.
“That seems to be the type of areas they’re targeting,” Tardif said.
Anyone who sees anything suspicious is urged to call their local police department.
“It is recommended that you check your financial activity on a regular basis as well as (use) locked mailboxes when sending checks of any type,” the Kennebunkport Police Department urged in a recent Facebook post.
Purses in cars also being targeted by thieves
While you’re keeping an eye on your mailbox, keep one on your car, too.
Earlier this month, the Kennebunk Police Department reported on its Facebook page that Kennebunk and surrounding communities received reports of burglarized vehicles — incidents in which suspects targeted purses left behind in parked cars in public spaces.
According to the police, this type of crime is often described as “Felony Lane Gang” activity, a reference to a group of Florida-based thieves who travel throughout the country, stealing identification and checkbooks from unattended vehicles. Some of the acts are “smash and grabs,” which means the burglar will outright break a car window, reach quickly into the car to snatch items, and then flee.
“With the stolen checkbooks and driver’s licenses, the gang uses female accomplices to cash checks using the drive-through lane of banks,” the Police Department stated.
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The term “felony lane” derives from the lane at banks farthest from surveillance cameras and tellers, considered the easiest one for using stolen identities and cashing checks.
Dog parks, fitness centers, tennis courts and walking trails are examples of spots often targeted by the group, according to police.
“Please help us help you and secure your vehicle at all times — and do not leave valuables in plain view,” the department posted.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunkport ME police warn thieves stealing checks from mailboxes
