Who steals checks out of the mail these days? Isn't that like 1980s crime?
My mom (mid 70s) got a call from a bank on Saturday asking if she'd written a check for $900 to XX company because a man was currently there trying to cash it. She of course hadn't. The teller called because the check appeared to have been wetted/water damage, the printing on it was horrible, and because my mom has accounts with that bank they could look up all her past checks and see that she has very distinctive handwriting that this check was not done it. Teller provided her with a check number and sure enough, my mom had written that check to pay her credit card bill and put in in the mail a week ago by dropping it off in a post office box at the main branch in her city where the boxes get emptied several times a day. So I assume someone who works for the postal service swiped her mail and check.
The bank of course refused the man to cash it and my mom immediately drove to her branch and they assigned her all new checking account number, new ATM card, etc. I encouraged her to call the non emergency police number today to file a report (surprised that bank didn't do this??) and call her credit card company to report that her payment will be delayed (it'll take 2 weeks to receive her new checks) so that she doesn't get charged a late fee and interest.
Stealing paper checks out of the mail and altering them just seems like an old school crime to me! What a hassle for my mom and her bank accounts (she can't write a check or access cash at the ATM until the new stuff arrives) but so grateful the astute bank teller caught the fraud. My mom is a SUPER anxious person who was completely unnerved by the incident but I told her not to fret that the system obviously worked...she lost no money, she isn't victim of identity theft, etc. As far as attempted crimes go, this was a best case scenario. And here she thought she was being the safety person on the planet by avoiding online shopping and online bill pay!!
Mom to two amazing DDs ('07 & '09) and a fur baby.
Gluten free since Nov '11 after non-celiac gluten sensitive diagnosis. Have had great improvement or total elimination of: migraines, bloating/distention, heartburn, cystic acne, canker sores, bleeding gums, eczema on elbows, dry skin and scalp, muscle cramps, PMS, hair loss, heart palpitations, fatigue. I'm amazed.