Mail theft and armed robberies against U.S. Postal Service carriers have increased substantially throughout the country. The criminal's focus is to gain access to the master keys of the blue USPS mailboxes – ultimately in search for checks that can be altered, counterfeited, or sold online.
In several cases, member-issued checks have been stolen from USPS mailboxes, as well as from members’ mailboxes. After stealing checks, fraudsters:
- Alter the payee and dollar amount.
- Manufacture fraudulent checks.
Use the checks to open fraudulent new accounts and/or apply for loans using the accountholder identities listed on the checks (e.g., name and address information).
How To Protect Yourself
- Pay bills online or use our online bill payment service.
- Mail checks inside the Post Office lobby rather than using blue mailboxes.
- Log into conline banking frequently to review transaction history – looking for unfamiliar transactions.
- Report unfamiliar and unauthorized transactions immediately to the credit union.