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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 the mail attached to the substance and if it contains a check, they can use chemicals to alter or wash away pen ink, which allows them to change the amount and cause financial loss, according to police.
In order to avoid having your checks stolen out of a mailbox, police are offering the following tips:
- Frequently collect mail, and do not let it sit in your mailbox overnight;
- Closely examine US Postal mailboxes before putting your mail inside;
- If you are able to, send out mail directly from a post office or pay your bills online;
- Install security cameras outside your residence.
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