Thieves Hit Mailboxes “Fishing” for Checks

Glen Cove Police are warning residents about a new scam: Thieves are stealing checks out of mailboxes and taking the money.

Recently, people sending checks from the mailboxes in front of the Post Offices in Glen Head, Sea Cliff, Manhasset, Great Neck and Glen Cove have reported checks being stolen.

This crime is known as “Mail Fishing:” Criminals will use a long stick and place glue on the end of the stick. The criminal will then open the door of the mailbox and place the stick with the glue on the end into the mailbox and fish out the mail inside. Once a piece of mail containing a check is found, they steal it and alter the amount of the check. They then make the check payable to a different person, and the check is cashed. The mailboxes in front of the Glen Cove Post Office have recently been altered to prevent this type of theft.

If you are sending checks, make sure the mailbox you are placing the mail into has a door that cannot be opened wide enough for a criminal to place his hands into. Many times, victims don’t realize the check that they mailed has been stolen until they get their bank statement, or they are notified by the legitimate payee that they have not received the payment.