More Darien Mail Thefts Reported, Thousands Of Dollars Stolen: PD

DARIEN, CT — Thousands of dollars in fraudulent check transactions were reported to Darien police as part of the department's ongoing investigation into mail theft from the Darien Post Office on Corbin Drive.

Between Jan. 23 and 25, more than half a dozen checks were reported stolen from outgoing mail placed at the post office, most of which initially had been drawn to pay utility companies.

However, the checks had been altered and cashed for amounts well above the original amount, often thousands of dollars more.

In one instance, a $233.32 check mailed to Optimum on Jan. 21 had been altered and cashed in the amount of $4,989.03 on Jan. 23, and three other checks written by the victim also may have been stolen.

On the 24th a victim reported to police that a $100 check written out to Aquarion had been altered and cashed in the amount of $998.33.

On the 25th, two checks mailed on Jan. 13, one written to Costco and another to Eversource, were reported stolen and fraudulently deposited. The Costco check initially was for $3,686.87 and had been altered and cashed in the amount of $2,200.80, and the Eversource check was for $213.53, and was altered and cashed in the amount of $4,750.70.

In the final report, a check written out an individual in an undisclosed amount was altered and cashed for $5,000.

Last week, Darien police issued a warning to residents about recent mail thefts, and recommended people follow these steps to avoid being a victim:

• Walk the outgoing mail into the Post Office
• Utilize online banking to make payments where applicable
• Monitor any bank account where checks are drawn
• Make payments via check-by-phone when available
• Using auto-draft for reoccurring bills
• Setting up "Fraud Alerts" with your financial institutions

Image via Shutterstock

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