Community

Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania seeing increase in mailbox fishing costing people thousands

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2023

Ken Paiva

Police in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania report that they have seen an increase in mailbox fishing.

How it works is that thieves will “fish” letters out of the mailbox using homemade devices. Typically, what they are looking for are checks people mail, usually an electric or a gas payment, etc. The thieves will then bleach and/or alter the check, increasing the amount and change the name on the “Pay to the Order” line. They will then try to cash or deposit the altered check.

Sometimes the bank catches the scheme before it is too late, but not everyone is as lucky.

Two months ago, two men were arrested after allegedly stealing a large number of checks and money orders from mailboxes in several states in New England and beyond.

In October, police in Massachusetts and Rhode Island warned after checks were altered and stolen from mailboxes in one scheme involving over $250,000.

Police in several Massachusetts communities have stated that this year they have noticed an uptick in reports of mailbox fishing.

If you are mailing any type of payment in the form of a check, consider mailing it from inside the post office or use one of the new mailboxes that only have a slit to take the mail. This will reduce your chances of being a victim of a mailbox fishing incident.