Essex County ‘Mailbox Fishers’ Busted During Tax Season: Police

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police in Glen Ridge have arrested two people who allegedly “fished” 24 checks worth more than $116,000 out of a USPS mailbox just prior to the end of the 2018 tax season. Many of the recovered checks were destined for the IRS, authorities said.

The key to the investigation was developing “trends and patterns” into a series of alleged mailbox fishing incidents that have taken place in the township over the past year and a half, police stated last week.

Glen Ridge police have arrested five mail fishing suspects since April 1, authorities said.

According to the Glen Ridge Police Department:

“Over the past year and a half, the borough experienced numerous reports of stolen checks that were later fraudulently deposited. In these instances, the checks in question were believed to have been ‘fished’ out of USPS collection boxes. During this ongoing investigation, intelligence had been developed, which included trends and patterns. This information was passed along to the patrol division to aid in the apprehension of anyone participating in this type of criminal activity.”

The long-running investigation provided results on April 17, when officers noticed a “suspicious vehicle” near a USPS mailbox at the intersection of Ridgewood Avenue and Glen Ridge Parkway around 2:38 a.m., authorities said.

The mailbox had previously been “compromised,” police said.

When Glen Ridge officers moved to investigate the vehicle, they found a large pile of mail stuffed under the passenger-side door of the vehicle. The officers also found other items nearby commonly used for mailbox fishing, authorities said.

Police didn’t name the specific “fishing” items in their statement about the incident.

After examining 24 pieces of stolen mail, officers found more than $116,000 in checks, many of which were destined for the IRS, police stated.

Glen Ridge police said that the passenger of the vehicle later admitted during an interview that he and the driver removed mail from the box. Their identities were not immediately released because of an “ongoing investigation,” authorities said.

Glen Ridge police arrested the driver and passenger of the vehicle and charged them with Second Degree Theft, Second Degree Trafficking in Personal Identification Information, and Fourth Degree Possession/Manufacture of Burglar’s Tools. Both suspects were remanded to the Essex County Correctional Facility.

Anyone with information about incidents in Glen Ridge can contact Captain Sean Quinn at 973-748-5400, ext. 113, or spquinn@glenridgenj.org

GLEN RIDGE POLICE: TIPS TO PREVENT MAIL THEFT

Glen Ridge police issued the following advice for residents seeking to avoid mail theft.

“If you believe that your mail has been compromised, please contact the Glen Ridge Police Department at 973-748-5400. Go directly into the post office and hand your mail over to a USPS employee. This is the single most effective way to prevent your mail from being compromised.”

In addition:

1. If dropping your mail off inside of the post office is not possible, attempt to locate a newer style collection box with additional security features. We have them right outside of the Glen Ridge Post Office.

2. Review the pickup schedule for your preferred blue box. Do not deposit anything into the mailbox after the last posted pickup. Pickup information is posted on each collection box.

3. Avoid mailing anything over a holiday weekend or any federally recognized holidays. The longer your mail sits in a blue box, the longer it is susceptible to being compromised.

4. If possible, do not place anything in the mailbox on Fridays, unless you are handing it over to a USPS employee inside of the post office. Thieves know that many people get paid on Fridays and as a result, the mailbox may see an increase in checks on those days. Thieves will target mailboxes on Fridays for this reason.

5. Never put cash or money orders into a collection box. If intercepted, these items are almost impossible to track and apprehension/recovery is unlikely.

6. If you see any suspicious activity around a blue box, immediately call the Glen Ridge Police Department. If time permits, note the license plate of any vehicles present during the suspicious activity and relay that information to the police dispatcher.

If you have any further questions regarding mail fishing, please contact the U.S. Postal Inspectors Office at 1-877-876-2455.

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File Photo: Shutterstock / Ken Wolter