String Of Mail Thefts, Check Fraud Under Investigation: Fairfield PD

FAIRFIELD, CT — Police are investigating numerous reports of mail theft and check fraud in Fairfield, authorities said.

Since September, police have received at least six reports of mail being illegally removed from mailboxes overnight, according to law enforcement. In some cases, mail that was removed included checks and resulted in subsequent check fraud.

"Fairfield Police anticipate that additional cases may have also occurred throughout the community during this time," authorities said in a news release.

Detectives have contacted the U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working with Fairfield police to investigate and identify those involved, according to the police department.

“It is as important as ever that residents remain vigilant and take steps to prevent mail theft around this time of year as there is typically an increase in checks, cash and gift cards being placed in mailboxes to be mailed out,” Fairfield Chief Robert Kalamaras said in the news release. “Any resident who believes that they may have had mail stolen from their mailboxes is encouraged to contact the police department at 203-254-4800.”

The department and postal inspection service recommend residents follow the tips below to prevent mail theft:

• Deposit outgoing mail at the local post office or hand it to a uniformed letter carrier.
• Avoid putting outgoing mail into mailboxes overnight. The raised flag signals to a thief that there is outgoing mail in the box.
• Deposit outgoing mail in a blue postal service mailbox prior to the last pickup time of the day.
• If you do not receive a check, credit card or other valuable mail you’re expecting, contact the sender as soon as possible. Never send cash through the mail.
• When mailing something important, consider requesting signature confirmation.
• Do not leave mail or packages next to a mailbox if it is full, or if your package does not fit.