Case Of The Missing Mail: Checks Stolen And Altered From Bergen County Mailboxes

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Police continue to investigate thefts from public mailboxes in Glen Rock and nearby towns, now that more people are reporting stolen mail and altered checks.

Police say that this past Thursday, a Ridgewood resident reported that they had used Glen Rock mailboxes on two dates in February to send out around $7,000 to pay bills.

"Those checks never made it to their intended location, were altered, and cashed by unknown third parties," Glen Rock police say.

Federal Agents from the US Postal Inspection Service, assisted by Glen Rock detectives, are investigating.

A few days earlier, on March 3, a Glen Rock resident said they had written a check in the amount of $32.68 payable to AT&T on Feb. 17.

Upon receiving their bank statement, they found that the check had been altered to $ 1,900.43 and made payable to a person they didn't know.

The report did not say if the check was mailed.

Other Communities, Too

The Glen Rock police first said in early February that they were investigating the pattern of checks being stolen from local mailboxes.

But in late February, they said the incidents had occurred in some nearby towns as well.

"The Glen Rock Police Department continues to receive reports from residents and local businesses who have been the victims of check fraud after mailing legitimate checks via the US Postal Service," they said in a statement. "The checks have been mailed at public mailboxes in both Glen Rock, as well as other communities in the area. In each case, checks were intercepted."

In another disturbing twist, police say that the thieves used the victim’s account information to create additional fraudulent checks.

READ MORE: Checks Swiped After Being Mailed From Public Mailboxes In Bergen County: Police