Mail Stolen From Winnetka Post Office, Police Warn Of Check Washing

WINNETKA, IL — Someone stole mail from an exterior drop box from the Winnetka Post Office Monday, police said.

Winnetka police recommended residents cancel any checks they mailed from the freestanding box in the rear parking lot of the 512 Chestnut St. post office between 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Monday.

Police warned of "check washing." Fraudsters treat checks to remove some of the ink and rewrite them to be paid to someone with a new amount.

"We continue to encourage residents to avoid mailing checks to prevent potential financial fraud," police said in a community alert.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Winnetka police are jointly investigating the heist, according to the alert.

The same post office was targeted by a mail thief on Dec. 28, 2021, leading police to issue a warning that everything mailed from the drop box in the days following the Christmas holiday had likely been stolen.

That burglary came a few weeks after a Winnetka resident reported a check that had been mailed from the post office had been intercepted and altered for a loss somewhere in excess of $5,000.

In the past month, village residents have reported numerous check washing incidents.