Winnetka police are advising residents to take extra caution after dozens of checks were stolen from the mail in the north suburb over the last few months, dollar amounts and names were changed and the checks were cashed.
“We’ve been messaging people over the last couple of months cautioning not to send any checks in the mail,” said Dylan Majcher Winnetka Deputy Chief of Police. “Use a different payment method. It’s rampant. It’s not just here, it’s everywhere in the country.”
Typically check washing involves stealing checks from USPS mailboxes or home mailboxes, soaking the checks in a chemical solution to remove names and to increase dollar amounts and then cashing the checks, authorities said.
Majcher said criminals often get access to mailboxes by using stolen arrow keys that the U.S. Postal Carriers use to open mailboxes.
The most recent incident was reported to Winnetka police on Jan. 25 where a resident said they discovered between that Jan. 15 and 19 unknown offender(s) altered a check that was previously mailed. The resident reported a loss of $1,350.
Another report says that a victim discovered between Jan. 12 and 18 unknown offender(s) altered a check that was previously mailed resulting in over $5,000 lost. There are more than a dozen other similar reports dating back to Sept. 2023.
“Often victims don’t even know this has occurred if the checks haven’t been changed for the dollar amount,” Majcher explained. “If it’s a large dollar amount the check is written for, the victim will see that it cleared in their account and they don’t realize the payee was changed. The payee often don’t realize it until who they were intending to send the check to contacts they and says ‘I haven’t received payment.’”
The crimes are being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and a spokesperson said their investigation is ongoing.
“In order to protect the integrity of this investigation, we cannot release specific case details at this time,” they said. “The Postal Inspection Service maintains critically important relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, as well as with a vast network of financial institutions and bank investigators in the private sector.”
The spokesperson went on to say that check fraud/check washing presents itself as a symptom, in part, of mail theft and that “without getting into our investigative tactics, techniques, and procedures,” the most important piece of any investigation is a descriptive and timely victim notification to law enforcement.
“The sooner we know about the crime, the better we can analyze trends, gather evidence, develop and apprehend suspects, and prevent additional illicit activity,” they said.
And according to online reports banking officials are warning Illinoisans about a rise in check fraud cases, being committed by organized mail theft rings. In Illinois, data shows that over 26,000 Illinois consumers and businesses fell victim to check fraud in 2022, a 104% increase from 2021.
On Jan. 31, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service posted on its website it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of four suspects responsible for ongoing incidents involving the vandalism of U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles and the subsequent theft of mail.
There have already been some arrests. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Illinois announced last August that four men were facing multiple federal charges for mail theft, bank fraud, identity theft and money laundering stemming from an apparent scheme involving postal collection boxes in Carbondale. According to the indictment, the alleged fraud scheme operated from approximately March 26 through at least July 1, 2020. The defendants are accused of stealing and altering more than 100 checks mailed by more than 50 postal customers. The total estimated loss exceeds $400,000.
Majcher said residents can take steps to avoid becoming victims of the crime.
“It is so rampant that you really need to find an alternative payment method,” he said. “We’re suggesting people use electronic payment whether it be through a payment app or wiring money.”
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.