The Wellesley Police Department is seeing a spike in check fraud cases for residents.
These are cases where checks are stolen from the U.S. Mail, altered or forged, and then cashed. Other communities in Massachusetts are experiencing similar crimes.
Residents can prevent or minimize the chances of being a victim of this crime by taking simple precautions when mailing a check:
- Make sure the mailbox you use has a collection that day. Don't use a mailbox where a check will sit overnight or over a weekend.
- Mail your check from inside a post office whenever possible. If using a mailbox outside the Post Office, check the collection time to make sure mail will be collected that day.
- Avoid using your home mailbox to mail checks.
The Police Department is continuing to work with surrounding communities and the U.S. Postal Service to investigate these thefts.