Officials Urge Caution After $5,715 Check Stolen From Mail

JOHNSTON COUNTY — A western Johnston County man says a check he mailed to pay his credit card bill was stolen from the U.S. mail and fraudulently cashed.

The 73-year-old victim told the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office he mailed a $5,715 check from the Holly Springs Post Office to his credit card company.

Several days later, he discovered the check had cleared his bank account, but the payment was never credited to his credit card account.

According to the sheriff’s office, someone allegedly intercepted the check after it was mailed and fraudulently cashed it.

The incident is under investigation.

The case is the latest in a series of reported mail thefts involving checks stolen from the U.S. Postal Service and altered or fraudulently cashed.

How to Protect Yourself

Law enforcement and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommend the following steps to reduce the risk of check theft:

• Mail checks inside your local post office or hand them directly to a postal employee instead of placing them in an outdoor collection box, especially overnight.
• Avoid leaving outgoing mail in your residential mailbox for extended periods.
• Use permanent black gel ink when writing checks, which is more difficult for criminals to wash or alter.
• Monitor your bank and credit card accounts frequently for unauthorized transactions.
• Consider paying bills electronically whenever possible to eliminate the risk of mailed checks being intercepted.
• Report suspicious activity immediately to your financial institution, local law enforcement and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Authorities encourage anyone who believes they may have been the victim of mail theft or check fraud to report the incident as soon as possible.