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Check Fraud

Police & Fire
Check Fraud On Rise In Mamaroneck: Often Stolen From Mail, Altered, Police Say Check Fraud On Rise In Mamaroneck: Often Stolen From Mail, Altered, Police Say
Check Fraud On Rise In Mamaroneck: Often Stolen From Mail, Altered, Police Say Authorities in Westchester are warning residents of an increase in "check washing," a scheme where checks are stolen from the mail and altered by criminals.  The warning was issued on Wednesday, Feb. 28 by the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department, which is currently investigating a rise in check fraud.  According to the department, the "check washing" schemes consist of criminals stealing mail in bulk looking for checks made payable to recipients. Once they find such a check, they will use chemicals to remove the payee and original dollar amount and rewrite a higher dollar amou…

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by Ben Crnic
News
$760K Check Scheme: Westchester Man Nabbed For 'Malicious Fraud,' Feds Say $760K Check Scheme: Westchester Man Nabbed For 'Malicious Fraud,' Feds Say
$760K Check Scheme: Westchester Man Nabbed For 'Malicious Fraud,' Feds Say A 26-year-old Westchester man who was arrested while hiding under his co-conspirator’s couch now faces charges in connection to a $760,000 check fraud scheme that victimized several people and their businesses, officials announced.  Mount Vernon resident Ishmael Benreuben, age 26, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 10 to participating in a scheme involving the deposit of around $760,000 in fraudulent checks into bank accounts in several states, the US Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York announced. According to federal officials, between September 2021 and March 2…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Check Fraud In Westchester Under Investigation By Police Check Fraud In Westchester Under Investigation By Police
Check Fraud In Westchester Under Investigation By Police A police department in Westchester County is giving residents tips to avoid having their mail stolen in light of numerous incidents of check fraud.  The White Plains Police Department is warning residents that checks can be stolen from both personal and US Postal mailboxes and altered, similar to many recent incidents that authorities are currently investigating, police said.  The mail thieves accomplish this by obtaining keys to US Postal mailboxes, or in some cases, placing sticky substances inside mailboxes that will catch mail before it falls. Criminals can then easily grab th…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Police Issue Alert On Checks Being Stolen From Mailboxes In Hudson Valley Police Issue Alert On Checks Being Stolen From Mailboxes In Hudson Valley
Police Issue Alert On Checks Being Stolen From Mailboxes In Hudson Valley Police are alerting residents in the region about a string of mail and check thefts from mailboxes. The Town of Montgomery Police Department reported on Tuesday, May 10, that the issue has been reported in a number of jurisdictions in Orange and Dutchess counties. "Checks are being stolen and mobile deposited in various banks," the department said.  The department encouraged residents and businesses to avoid having checks delivered by mail or left in the mailbox. Police said anyone whose mail and/or checks are stolen should contact their local police department.

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Westchester Porch Pirate, Pals Stole $600K In Checks From Mail, Feds Say Westchester Porch Pirate, Pals Stole $600K In Checks From Mail, Feds Say
Westchester Porch Pirate, Pals Stole $600K In Checks From Mail, Feds Say A man charged with pirating Christmas packages from porches in Yonkers was part of a crew that stole, altered and cashed $600,000 in checks mailed in Passaic, Morris, Essex and Somerset counties the past 10 months, federal authorities said Friday. Claude Anthony Burnett, 23, who was captured by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents, now faces charges that can bring way more serious consequences than package snatching. Meanwhile, victims were left trying to sort out their finances. From at least February of this year until just last month, Burnett and others fished envelopes containing chec…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Woman At Large After Being Ordered To Pay $20K In Restitution In Hudson Valley Woman At Large After Being Ordered To Pay $20K In Restitution In Hudson Valley
Woman At Large After Being Ordered To Pay $20K In Restitution In Hudson Valley Seen her? New York State Police in the Hudson Valley issued an alert for a wanted 43-year-old woman who is wanted after passing a check with insufficient funds to pay and later going on the run after being ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution. According to police in Middletown, Caren Cavanagh was arrested after she refused to make good on checks to her landlord and employer. Following her arrest, she was ordered to pay restitution to her victims, but has gone radio silent. Police said that Cavanagh has refused to contact the court, nor has she paid restitution, leading to a warrant being…

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by Zak Failla
News
Here's How You Can Avoid Being Victim Of Mail Fishing, Police Say Here's How You Can Avoid Being Victim Of Mail Fishing, Police Say
Here's How You Can Avoid Being Victim Of Mail Fishing, Police Say Police investigators are warning area residents to be wary of “mail fishing,” which fraudsters have been using to steal items from local mailboxes with the holiday season approaching. An alert was released regarding recent instances of “mail fishing,” where thieves use a weighted object that is attached to a string or wire and is covered in a sticky substance to steal mail from USPS mailboxes. 
According to police, “‘mail fishers’ steal cash, identities, and monetary instruments. Stolen checks or money orders can be fraudulently altered and cashed at certain financial institutions.” Inves…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Thieves 'Fishing' From Stamford Mail Collection Boxes, Police Say Thieves 'Fishing' From Stamford Mail Collection Boxes, Police Say
Thieves 'Fishing' From Stamford Mail Collection Boxes, Police Say Stamford residents are being warned to think twice before putting utility or other checks in large U.S. post boxes due to a recent rise in thefts. So far, more than $3,000 in dozens of checks have been stolen or "fished" out of the large boxes, said Stamford Police Sgt. Steve Perrotta. "I suggest if residents are mailing important payments or sensitive mail to walk inside the Post Office and hand the items to a clerk," Perrotta said. That's because the thieves are hitting boxes in different locations, including very busy ones such as a box in front of Starbucks. "…

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by Kathy Reakes