Martin County - Monday August 19, 2024: The Martin County Sheriff's Office reports that its Criminal Investigations Division has received multiple reports from residents who have had checks stolen after dropping their mail off at local post offices.
As a result, the Sheriff says that those checks never made it to their intended recipients and were instead altered by thieves who changed the recipient’s name and check amounts. The stolen checks were then cashed, resulting in thousands of dollars in losses.
The United States Postal Inspector has advised the Sheriff's Office that thieves have been stealing large bags of incoming mail dropped off at post offices, leading to these crimes. So far, 11 victims of check theft and alteration have been identified in Martin County. They dropped mail at post offices in Hobe Sound, Palm City, and Stuart.
The Sheriff is urging anyone who has recently mailed checks through the United States Postal Service to immediately check their bank accounts and verify that the payments have been received by the intended recipients.
If you have mailed anything of great importance and are concerned the mail did not reach its intended recipient, contact that recipient to verify.
If the checks have been cashed but the vendors never received payment, the Sheriff advises that you notify your bank as well as call the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.