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The victim mailed a check for $57.01 to an insurance company using the US Postal Service mailbox on West Plaza near the Source Building, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said Monday.
Several days later, the woman received a call telling her “there was a problem with her credit card account and providing her with her checking account number,” Ackermann said.
Suspicious of the call, the woman wisely contacted her bank, the police chief said.
“The bank confirmed her suspicions that the call was a scam and conducted an immediate review of her account,” he said.
The bank was able to reverse a $5,800.07 charge to her account made from the stolen check, which had its total changed to $5,800.7 and was made payable to a stranger, the chief said.
The bank also provided a copy of the forged check, which borough police forward to the U.S. Postal Service, along with other information.
Although stealing mail can be prosecuted as a federal crime that carries a prison term of up to five years for a conviction, thefts continue to increase at an alarming rate.
In response, the Postal Service has begun to replace drop boxes with newer, higher-security drop boxes.
Meanwhile, police urge customers to go inside the post office to deposit their mail.
NOTE: If you see someone tampering with a postal box or sitting in a car parked for a long time near one, contact your local police department immediately. Or call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Hotline at (877) 876-2455.
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