Check To Cook County Treasurer Stolen, Washed: Palos Hills Crime

PALOS HILLS, IL — A homeowner came into the Palos Hills police station to report that a check they mailed never reached the Cook County Treasurer’s Office, reports said.

On May 13, the homeowner said on Jan. 30, they wrote a check for $734 to pay for their property tax installment. They mailed the check at the mailbox at 10300 S. Roberts Road.

The homeowner recently received a notice from the Cook County Treasurer’s Office stating that their property taxes weren’t paid. Police said when the homeowner reviewed their bank statement, they discovered that their check had been intercepted, washed, and made payable to the order of “Markita Williams.”

Check fraud cases are on the rise, with checks being stolen out of USPS mailboxes outside local post offices and in the community. Anyone who believes their mail to be stolen or altered, should report it immediately to their local police department. Police will initiate an investigation by the federal postal inspector.

Here are some more tips to avoid check fraud:

• Use a gel pen with ink resistant to washing, such as a Uni- Ball Signo, developed by identity thief turned identity theft expert Frank W. Abagnale Jr. whose life was chronicled in the blockbuster movie “Catch Me If You Can.”
• Get out of your car and mail checks from INSIDE the post office.
• Collect your mail from your personal mailbox right away.
• Talk to your bank about alternative payment methods.