'Check Washing' And Mail Theft Investigated In New Canaan: PD

NEW CANAAN, CT — New Canaan authorities are investigating incidents of "check washing" in town over the past few weeks that were tied to at least three incidents of mail theft.

Check washing is a scam under which someone erases information from a check, forges new information on it and then fraudulently cashes it.

"Incidents were specific to the southeast area of New Canaan," Lt. Jason Ferraro told Patch, declining to offer information on specific streets. "No residential video captured the thefts."

Darien police have launched similar mail theft investigations in recent months, including an instance when more than 100 pieces of mail taken from nearly two-dozen Darien addresses were recovered during a motor vehicle stop.

New Canaan police recommends not leaving mail in a residential box for postal carriers to pick up, instead take outgoing letters directly to a United States Post Office for mailing.

"The [New Canaan police] Investigative Section is actively investigating these thefts, I can't share more than that at this time," Ferraro said.