Last weekend, I learned some surprising things about the U.S. Postal Service after someone stole a check I put in the mail. Here's the story.
On Friday, May 2, at about 5:25 p.m., I put two checks in the mail using the blue mailbox outside the Post Office on Wigwam Avenue (next to Target). Normally, if I have to mail a check, I'll go inside the Post Office on Grand Street and put the envelope in the mail drop there. This time I was running behind on things and just wanted to get it done.
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| The mailbox I used on May 2, 2025. |
A week later, on Friday, May 9, I was wondering if the checks had cleared yet. I opened up the app for my bank account and was shocked to see that the check I wrote for $200 was processing for $4,900. I pulled out my checkbook to verify that I hadn't lost my mind -- the carbon for the check clearly showed $200.
It was late at night and the check was in process, so there was nothing I could do.
The next morning, I looked again at my bank account. By this time, the check had cleared and I could see a scan of the check. Someone I've never heard of had "washed" the check, removing what I wrote, changing the amount from $200 to $4,900. He traced over my handwriting for the date and signature, but everything else, including the subject line, was completely rewritten.
I immediately tried to dispute the check, but the bank's app gave me a message saying that they couldn't do anything until regular business hours on Monday. I called the Waterbury Police and reported the theft to them. They, of course, had an actual person who answered the phone and took down my information. She also sent me a link for uploading my evidence. She was very sympathetic.
Over the course of the weekend, as I waited for Monday morning to arrive, several reputable sources told me that the key for blue mailboxes in Waterbury had been stolen well over a year ago and that the Post Office didn't have enough employees to change the locks. I was told of numerous people who have had checks stolen from the mailboxes and rewritten for new sums to new people. I did a little googling and found news stories going back several years, showing that this is something that has happened in other towns, making it clear that the U.S.P.S. is aware of the problem.
On Sunday, May 11, I returned to the Post Office to see if maybe there was a warning notice on the mailbox. You know, something that maybe would say "don't put checks or money orders in this box." There is a warning notice, but all it talks about are oversized envelopes, customs declarations, and hazardous material.
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| Detail of the mailbox at Wigwam Avenue |
Just as I was about to leave, I saw a beat up old truck pull into the Post Office parking lot. The driver was an older man. He pulled up behind me to wait his turn to use the mailbox. I walked over to him and told him what happened to me. He was a veteran, about to put a bundle of mail, including bill payments, into the mailbox. He said he normally goes inside and hands his mail to the postal workers, but today he was going to put them in the outside box. I was very agitated as I urged him not to do it. I think (I hope) he waited for the post office to open the next day so he could mail his letters inside.
The Bank
On Monday morning, I headed straight to my bank. I figured if I had to wait for regular business hours, I may as well get in-person help. The bank was busy, so I took a seat and waited. Eventually a bank employee came over to see how they could help me. When I explained what happened, the first thing she asked was whether or not I had talked to their fraud department. I explained that I tried, but was told I had to wait for the bank to open on Monday morning, which is why I was at the bank on Monday morning.
The bank employee started telling me that I would have to leave and contact their fraud department. This is when I lost it. I went on a long rant about how I had come here to get help with check fraud, and how I wanted to be helped, and how I wasn't going to leave until they helped me. Yes, I was crying. It was super embarrassing, and I was kind of surprised at how emotional I was, but when someone steals $4,900 from you and you can't do anything about it until the bank opens two days later, it's an emotional thing.
The bank employee was very nice about my breakdown and didn't have me kicked out or arrested. She took me to one of their cubicle rooms (a "room" as big as a cubicle) and had a different employee assist me. I apologized profusely for crying. The cubicle room employee called the fraud department, reviewed my copies of the check as originally written and as deposited, and helped me process my fraud claim. I asked her about adding a layer of protection for my checks -- I know, for example, other banks will call you if they see an unusually large check coming through. She said there were things they could do, but she didn't seem to think it was worthwhile because I rarely write checks.
The bank employee put a stop on both of the check I mailed that day. She said the check that was already used could be used again. Putting a stop on a check is good for only one year, so she also recommended closing my account to prevent further fraud from the thief. I have no desire to stay with this bank, and I told her if I close my account, I'm opening one with a different bank.
The bank promised I would get the results of their investigation into my fraud claim in 24-48 hours. Fortunately, the next morning, a refund of the $4,900 was posted to my account. They also waived their $30 fee for putting a stop on the checks.
The Post Office
After I finished at the bank, I drove over to the post office. This turned into an adventure in which I briefly wondered if I was going to be killed.
When I got to the post office, there was a line of customers and only one person working at the counter. I stood in line and waited. After about ten minutes, a very large man arrived and cut the line to talk to the employee. He said he had a package to pick up. The employee directed him to go to a door and ring the buzzer for service. The man asked if the employee remembered him from the last time he was there. When she said she didn't, he said that was probably a good thing.
A female customer who had been waiting in line to pick up a package asked if she should also go to the door with the buzzer. She was told yes. The large man who had just arrived put himself first at the door, even though he had only just arrived.
I went back to zoning out in line, occasionally hearing the buzzer. Then I heard extremely loud banging on the door. The large man was pounding the door and shouting. Three employees came out of the back. One of them was the manager, who had been in a meeting with one of the other employees who came out. They opened the door and the manager, a petite woman, tried to get the man to calm down while also pointing out that his behavior was unacceptable. He was increasingly angry, shouting that he had a bone problem and couldn't stand for long, shouting that having to wait for service was unacceptable, shouting that they were all horrible people. At this point, I started looking around to see if I could duck and cover anywhere if he pulled out a gun and started shooting. He was that angry.
Eventually, the large, angry man got his package. It wasn't what he was expecting, so he started getting mad at the postal workers for that, too. They finally got him to calm down and leave. The poor woman who had been waiting much longer than he had was almost overlooked, but finally she was able to pick up her package as well.
When it was my turn at the counter, I was very careful to use a friendly, caring tone of voice. Customer service is one of the hardest jobs. I felt even worse about falling apart at the bank, so I tried to make up for it by being extra nice at the post office.
When I explained my situation to the postal employee, a customer standing to the side overheard and commented that he knew many people who had their mail stolen from that box. The postal employee commented that the Postal Inspectors had been there just last week investigating that box. So, basically, everyone knows the thefts are going on, and nobody is doing anything to stop them or warn the public.
The employee checked with the manager, then gave me the phone number for the Postal Inspectors, who are the federal police in charge of postal crime. I went out to my car and called the number. The woman who answered took down my information, gave me a case number, and told me someone would be in touch in a couple of days. I received an email confirming the information given over the phone.
What Next?
I haven't heard back from the Postal Inspectors or the Waterbury PD, but I did get my money back and I am working on switching to a new bank.
I'm tempted to put warning labels on the mailboxes, but then I'd probably get arrested for tampering with mailboxes, while the U.S.P.S. continues to do nothing to warn people that the mailboxes aren't secure.
Louis DeJoy was in charge of the U.S.P.S. from 2020 until he quit in March 2025. He previously headed a direct competitor to the U.S.P.S. and has been accused of trying to undermine the U.S.P.S. so his private company can profit.
During DeJoy's time as Postmaster General, theft from mailboxes became rampant. DeJoy reduced the size of the postal workforce, making it harder for them to do things like change the locks when keys are stolen.
DeJoy was replaced as Postmaster General by Doug Tulino, who is actually a career postal employee, unlike DeJoy. Whether or not Tulino is able to make the necessary improvements to protect the integrity and security of the Postal Service is, as yet, unknown.
If you're interested, here are some links to news coverage of mailbox master keys and checks in mailboxes being stolen all over the country:
Mail Theft Said To Be At "Epidemic Proportions" in California, 2025
Master Key and Mail Stolen in Florida, 2025
Master Key and Mail Stolen from Community Boxes in Texas, 2025
Keys and Mail Stolen in Pennsylvania
Keys and Mail Stolen in Maryland, 2022
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