When it’s time to pay a bill, many people still write a check and mail it. But is that safe anymore? Postal inspectors say mail theft is rising fast — and thieves are going after your checks.
The phrase “the check is in the mail” has new meaning for two northern California homeowners who were among the latest to pay the price of mail theft. They dropped their property tax payments in the mail as usual. And the checks were cashed right away — but not by the tax collector.
Kathy Pham of San Jose was surprised to get a delinquency notice in the mail saying she never paid her property taxes.
She thought, sure she did.
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. Did I forget?’ I was like kicking myself,” Pham said. “My husband actually took the check down to the post office and dropped it off.”
In fact, her bank statement showed that the check had cleared months ago.
“I said I’m going to go to the county Monday, and I’m going to tell them, ‘Hey, you cashed my check.’ And then my husband said, ‘Hey, let’s look at the check.’ And that’s when I almost fell over,” she said.
Hellbound and Down 