PITTSBURGH — Mail was stolen right out of the blue collection boxes outside at least six local Post Offices, and in some locations, it’s not the first time this has happened.
The United States Postal Service says thieves hit five of those blue boxes early Monday morning, and their teams are now investigating the federal crimes in Russellton, Ingomar, Pleasant Hills, Brentwood and Dravosburg.
Some of those blue collection boxes, which have been targeted before, are now covered with trash bags, caution tape or “do not use” signs, leaving USPS customers concerned and changing how they send their mail.
Police are also warning about checks being stolen and cashed in someone else’s name at the Crafton Post Office. It’s called check washing. Thieves use household chemicals to erase the information written on the check, then change the amount and to whom the check is payable to steal your money. Richard Ford is the Police Chief in Crafton.
“It’s out there, it’s rampant; it can be very costly,” Chief Ford tells Channel 11.
Chief Ford says over the last few weeks, a half dozen people have reported their checks stolen after they dropped them in the blue collection box outside the Crafton Post Office. In three cases, the checks were washed, and police reports were filed for fraud.
Anita Okraszewski had checks stolen from the same Crafton Post Office last year.
“I get a call from the Post Office police; they said — ‘we’re calling regarding mail that was stolen,’” Okraszewski told Channel 11. “I said ‘I can tell you exactly which checks that never got cashed.’ I said ‘what do I need to do because I’m worried if they steal my identity or not.’ He said ‘they didn’t, we found the person we got all that mail.’”
The US Postal Inspection Service says there are steps people can take to protect their mail, including:
- hand mail directly to clerk at post office
- place mail in outgoing slot in lobby
- drop off mail in collection box before last pick-up time
Chief Ford says to use a blue or black gel pen. It makes it harder for thieves to “wash” the checks and steal your money. Also, keep an eye on your bank accounts to make sure checks you send are cashed to the right person in the correct amount.
If you believe your mail was stolen, file a police report with your local police department and with the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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