WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — There have been recent reports of checks being stolen from mailboxes at a Wellington business plaza and in Port St. Lucie. Now, a business plaza in West Palm Beach was hit.
The latest victim is a West Palm Beach doctor who said the thieves changed his checks and tried to steal $27,000.
The incident occurred after regular business hours. Surveillance video recorded by a local business showed someone opening up a bank of mailboxes in West Palm Beach.
"If they have the key, they are coming back tomorrow," Dr. Olayemi Osiyemi said. "They are coming back the day after."
Osiyemi, whose medical practice is located on Metrocentre Boulevard, realized he became a victim when his bank activity showed a check he wrote for $624 was changed to almost $9,000.
"It showed it was actually withdrawn," Osiyemi said. "It was deposited by cellphone the day before but the check hadn't cleared."
But then he said it happened two more times in the same week — an attempted theft of almost $27,000.
Osiyemi's checks were apparently washed by thieves using chemicals to remove the ink and add a new amount and recipient.
He said one of the checks was flagged by the bank immediately.
"There's a fraud marking on the check," Osiyemi said. "When they washed the check, that marking came off, so that triggered the bank to say something is not right."
Osiyemi put all of his outgoing mail, including checks, in a central mailbox located in a business plaza.
The U.S. Postal Service said check washing has become a major problem and advises customers to deposit mail in outgoing boxes before the last pick up or drop it off at a local post office.
"Another thing to really avoid this issue is to use a gel black pen when you're making out your check because that kind of ink cannot be washed," Cinthya Lavin of the Better Business Bureau said.
The Better Business Bureau said check washing isn't new, and it is happening across the country, with an uptick usually occurring around the holidays.
West Palm Beach Police Department is investigating the incident and said 12 checks were washed in the case filed earlier this month.
"I think people need to be aware," Osiyemi said. "This is the holidays. There's always more fraud during the holidays."
WPTV contacted the U.S. postal inspector to find out what measures are being taken in an effort to prevent these crimes.
Another precaution you can take to avoid becoming a victim is to hold your mail at the post office if you will not be collecting it for a few days.
