Mail Theft Rises In Calhoun County

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has issued warning alerting area residents of a rise in mail thefts from personal mailboxes at homes in the Calhoun County area.
Authorities offer the following tips in regards to mailing checks via the U.S. Mail.

• Track the check so you know if and when it arrives.
• Never mail a check payable to cash.
• Restrict the check and make it hard to tell that there’s a check in the envelope such as security envelopes.
• Consider alternative forms of payment.
• To prevent anybody from seeing your bank account and routing numbers, pay with your bank’s online bill payment service or send a money order.
• Consider dropping the check off at the Post Office.

Other steps to prevent checks from being stolen and re-written are:

• Consider paying your bills online. In this kind of transaction, there won’t be a check to wash.
• Use of check washing resistance pens. Good example is a gel pen which is highly resistant to solvents. Avoid inks that can easily be erased like blue ball-point pens and permanent markers. A roller-ball is also good to be used.
• Pay attention to bank statements as soon as you receive them. This will enable one to confirm whether his/her account figures have not been altered. Banks usually give a period of thirty days of correction. Thereafter, a bank is not liable for any loss.
• Have knowledge on how to identify a washed check. For instance, if the paper is grayish in color there is nothing to doubt. Check to see if the print is in a variety of texts. If the text differs, then be wary of check washing.

It is also a good idea to place and retrieve mail close to the mail carriers normal arrival.

Any questions concerning this crime spree can be addressed to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office: 269-965-7795