Couple says mail theft led to $14,000 in stolen checks
By Norman Seawright
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NEW ALBANY, Indiana (WLKY) — Bobby and Debbie Wilburn of New Albany say thieves stole and altered checks they dropped at the Elm Street post office, resulting in about $14,000 taken and several other checks still missing.
The Wilburns, who own a construction business, say they dropped more than 20 checks at the post office to pay business expenses and later learned three had been altered and deposited by thieves.
“Today is our anniversary,” Debbie said. “We’re spending it at the bank.”
The couple was first tipped off by an email from their bank, leading them to realize a check was altered.
“We actually still have that check number in our checkbook. So we didn’t even write that check,” Debbie said.
“We’re a small business—nine employees—and it hurts when you get hit like that,” Bobby said.
Debbie said the theft created a series of issues: “We had to close our account, pay $300 to get payroll checks here by Thursday, and pay late fees from everything not reaching where they’re supposed to be going.”
After Debbie posted about the theft on Facebook, other residents reported similar incidents.
“It’s sad you have to go to Facebook to find out that this has been happening to a lot of other people,” Bobby said.
Indiana State Police say they are investigating similar crimes.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service sent a statement:
“USPIS is aware of reports regarding stolen mail from the New Albany Post Office. There is an ongoing investigation being conducted by USPIS out of Indianapolis which covers southern Indiana. USPIS is in contact with local law enforcement who have received reports of the theft and have been instrumental in identifying local victims of this illegal activity.
“Combating mail theft is a priority for USPIS. We are coordinating with the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute criminal enterprises targeting the mail for their illegal activity. If any your viewers have been victims of this crime or have witnessed suspicious activity related to these criminal acts, they can report it to USPIS by calling 1-877-876-2455 or by filing a mail theft complaint online at uspis.gov/report.”
For now, the Wilburns say they will not send their checks through the New Albany post office.
“I just think that everybody needs to know that this is going on down here and, you know, take precaution because, you know, it’s a hassle,” Bobby said.
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