Maybe there was a time when we could use our own mailboxes without having to worry about criminals stealing outgoing mail and using it to their advantage.
But if those good old days existed – they’re long gone now.
Take some recent news out of Indiana where the Winchester News-Gazette reports that the Randolph County Sheriff is warning citizens about mailbox thieves in rural areas.
But this isn’t only happening in rural Indiana. It could be happening in your community as well.
Here’s what these dirty rotten scoundrels do…
They might look like an innocent pedestrian taking a walk, but they’re really looking for personal checks you put in your mail. The little red flag that goes up when you want the mail carrier to take some outgoing mail is a major signal to would-be criminals.
What often happens is a process called check washing. Perpetrators use household chemicals to clear information written on the personal check. They might change the Pay to the Order of line to their own name, and then change the amount the check was written for to a higher amount.
You probably won’t realize anything is wrong until you receive notice that your bill was never paid.
Checks are often used to pay bills. It may be safer to pay online in many instances – but sometimes that’s just not possible.
In that case – it’s best to drop you bills off inside one of the big blue postal mail boxes. These are more secure but not completely safe. Some criminals have found ways of fishing mail out of those boxes.
To be completely sure that the personal checks you use to pay bills don’t fall into the wrong hands you can bring them directly to the post office.
If you have to put bills with personal checks in your own mailbox – wait until shortly before your mail carrier arrives to do so.
Personal information found on your checks could also lead to serious identity theft. Remember – your account number is printed on every check! That’s why you should always keep your checkbook in a safe place.
You should never print your social security number on your personal checks. If you did order new checks from Check Advantage right now! You should limit the amount of personal information on your checks to only what is absolutely necessary.
Another smart move is using a gel pen to write your checks.
I know that it’s a hard habit to get into. My wife and I usually just stuck our bills in the mailbox, but now I’m trying to convince her not to do it anymore. I used to think it was okay to leave my car doors unlocked every now and then. That was before my car stereo was stolen – THREE DIFFERENT TIMES.
Sometimes it takes me awhile to learn my lesson.
Read this blogger’s story about how he was ripped off by a check washing culprit and what he did about it. Check out what happened to Harry. Just a quick disclaimer – the language this writer uses is a little colorful.
Below is a video about how check washing works. Use it to defend yourselves people – don’t get any ideas!
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