New Informaton

[L Verge]

This is probably not new information to some of you, and it is totally unrelated to Lincoln - unless you want proof that people are not always as honest as Abe. I am posting an experience I had for the first time today as a warning to others.

There as been a long-running scam where criminals raid people's USPS mailboxes and remove checks from outgoing mail. They then "wash" the checks, removing the name of the company or person to whom the check is going and insert their name. They also change the amount of the check, if possible.

Today, at 9 am while en route to work, I pulled up to my curbside mailbox, put in an envelope to my heating oil company for $140, closed the box and raised the flag. At 2:15 this afternoon, I receive a phone call from a branch of my bank wanting to know if I had paid a Mr. Prince ----- $940. The gentleman was still at their drive-in window. Luckily, the teller was alert and could tell that the check just wasn't "right" and asked a colleague to call me.

Of course, you know what I said (no four-letter words, however), and the teller told the car full of men to get lost. They could not contact the police because the supposed robbers never got the money.

My daughter works near that bank and went by on her way home. She has a copy of the check and says that it is a good facsimile of my handwriting. The 1 was changed to a 9 very easily, of course, but when he tried to write out the amount there was a difference. As for the line that he wrote his name in, all he had to claim was that I told him to write it in because it was a foreign name.

I have a friend who retired as a postal inspector, so I am in touch with him to see if this doesn't classify as a federal crime against the mail service.

My point in sharing is to alert others to take their outgoing mail to the post office - which I usually do - or hand it to your mailman personally (if you trust him/her). I was lucky and intend to write a letter of praise to the bank officers for their quick-thinking staff.