New Canaan Police are warning residents about the theft and alteration of checks stolen from mailboxes in town.
Officers are investigating reports of personal checks stolen from residential mailboxes on Ferris Hill and West Roads, according to Police Chief Leon Krolikowski.
“These checks were ‘washed’ and made payable to parties who were not the intended payee,” Krolikowski said in a press release.
Two years ago, during the first summer of the pandemic, New Canaan saw a rash of similar crimes, where the payee as well as the amount written out on checks was altered by criminals.
Krolikowski’s press release included a link to more information on “check-washing.”
He issued these prevention tips:
- BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR: Get to know your neighbors, watch out for them, and report suspicious activity in your neighborhood immediately.
- CHECK YOUR MAIL OFTEN AND AVOID LEAVING MAIL IN YOUR RESIDENTIAL MAILBOX: Avoid leaving mail in your unsecure residential mailbox. Bring sensitive outgoing mail to the post office rather than leaving mail in your residential mailbox for pick-up.
- CONSIDER GETTING A LOCKING RESIDENTIAL MAILBOX: There are many residential mailbox options that allow mail to be delivered, but requires a key to retrieve the mail.
- REPORT MAIL THEFT TO OUR DEPARTMENT AND TO THE USPS at: https://www.uspis.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MailTheftLink.html\
- REQUEST A VACATION HOLD EVEN IF YOU ARE ONLY AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS: More at: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/USPS-Hold-Mail-The-Basics
- SIGN UP FOR INFORMED DELIVERY SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW WHEN SENSITIVE MAIL WILL ARRIVE. More at: https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action