DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County woman says more than $500 in checks disappeared after she mailed them from a U.S. Postal Service collection box in East Atlanta, raising concerns that the mailbox may have been tampered with.
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The resident, who asked not to be identified, said she dropped four separate checks into a collection box at the post office and later learned the payments never reached their intended recipients.
“They still haven’t received the money,” she said.
According to the woman, weeks passed before the companies contacted her to say they had not received the checks. When she returned to the post office seeking answers, she said she noticed what appeared to be problems with the collection box.
“I noticed that, hey, this thing doesn’t have a lock on here. And the other one doesn’t even have a latch or a lock,” she said.
The resident said she filed a formal complaint but left frustrated because she could not determine whether the checks had been stolen or lost in the mail system.
“I wasn’t happy with their service and what had happened,” she said.
Channel 2 Action News contacted the U.S. Postal Service about the complaint. USPS said it forwarded the inquiry to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the agency responsible for investigating mail theft and other postal crimes.
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Earlier this year, the Postal Inspection Service warned consumers about an increase in check thefts from collection boxes and residential mailboxes. Investigators say some thieves target checks as part of a scheme known as “check washing.”
According to the Postal Inspection Service, criminals steal checks and use chemicals to remove the ink while preserving the account holder’s signature. They then alter the payee information and increase the check amount before attempting to cash or deposit it.
The DeKalb resident said she has since canceled the missing checks and is closely monitoring her bank account.
“I am hoping and praying that the checks will surface,” she said.
She said the experience has shaken her trust in the mail system.
“We should be able to trust the United States Postal Service,” she said.
The Postal Service encourages customers to deposit mail inside post office buildings or hand items directly to a postal clerk whenever possible. USPS says those options can help reduce the risk of mail theft from outdoor collection boxes.
The Postal Inspection Service has not said whether the missing checks were stolen or whether an investigation is underway.
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