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My parents recently had four outgoing bills stolen from their mailbox. Their mail lady found the envelopes ripped open with the checks missing on someone's lawn, so thankfully they were able to stop payment right away. But still, even with the stop payment, the thief cashed 2 out of the four checks at a Walmart. It's all a big mess now, with the fraud department involved, and my parents had to close down their checking account and open a new one with a new number, since the thief had their checks. My parents are not out the money because of the stop payment, but the paperwork, time and hassle involved has been tremendous.
In talking with the detective on the case, I have learned several things:
1. Check stealers are very devious. They have some sort of solution they can use to remove ink from the checks and write in their own names. However, one check that Walmart cashed after the stop payment just had the gas company's name scratched out and someone else's written in. The dollar amount had also been marked out and rewritten. AND WALMART STILL CASHED IT.
2. This type of theft tends to happen around the holidays, and the thieves tend to work in bands. Usually only outgoing bills are targeted, since they most likely have a check in them.
3. Stop payment doesn't always protect you. My parents had two checks cashed after the stop payment. The bank will reimburse them, but they still immediately got calls from collection agencies, and the whole thing will show up on their credit report until the Fraud department clears it.
4. Count on doing most of the work yourself. My parents have had to check and recheck everything- the bank people have been nice but not so good with their follow through. Walmart has been difficult to work with, and the detective had to subpoena the security tapes from the store because the manager would not turn them over.
5. Ironically, Walmart carries a security pen whose ink cannot be easily removed from paper- specifically to help prevent check fraud. That's a laugh, since at Walmart you can just scratch out someone's name and write your own in.
6. Put as little personal information on your checks as possible. Try to avoid putting your driver's license number on there especially.
Anyway- my parents no longer put any outgoing mail in their mailbox. They drive to the post office.
You might want to rethink mailing out bills from home if you do this.
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Wow! I put mine out there all the time. I might rethink it. thanks
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As a mail carrier, i definitely won't put bills in my mailbox and i live in town. They used to say it was usually the rural areas and back country roads that were most vulnerable. It's not that way anymore, you are at risk even inside the city limits. I feel bad for the elderly customers on the route, because they rely on this service (outgoing mailbox pickups) because they cannot always get out to run errands due to weather or health reasons. I always try to leave packages too large for the mailbox in a safe area too,especially boxes of personal checks.
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I started paying bills on line because I have a "shute" mailbox and I could not put anything in it that would stay. I just found it much easier hassle free and I save a ton on stamps!
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We don't put outgoing bills in our mailbox for just that reason. It's very scary that this can happen and I hope your parents get everything cleared up soon.
I will also add this post to my "list of reasons I will NEVER shop at Wal-Mart again"
That list is long...VERY long...
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My dh doesn't want us to put anything outgoing in the mailbox. When he pays bills, he drives to the post office (luckily just a few minutes from us) to mail them.
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No I don't, but our mailbox is locked but I still don't use it that often since I have to go to the post office to mail stuff I've sold on ebay anyway I just take them.
I pay most of my bills online now automatically, which is nice
I have the pens that have the special ink that is suppose to not be washable for check washing scams. However since no one has stolen any of my checks I don't know if it works or not. I got them at staples, they don't cost more than any other pens it's the Uni-ball 207, but like I said I don't know if it works but it makes me feel a little safer writing a check!
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There are only two bills that I have to mail now - everything else is online. I put them out right before the mailman gets there. Unfortunately, the nearest post office is about 10 miles away and not near anything I go to so it is quite a bit inconvenient.
I remember when Dateline did a show on this year ago. That was when I was really cautious of what I put in my mailbox.
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Wow! Thanks for posting this, I've never even thought of someone doing this, we put all our bills to be mailed in our mailbox. I will definitly be dropping them at the post office from now on.
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Wow, I always put mine out in the mail box!!! I guess I wrongly assumed no one could use them if they were made out to someone.