Princeton Police Warn Of ‘Mailbox Fishing Scam’

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton Police Department said they have received several reports of mail theft and check fraud over the past few months.

Most of these checks have been stolen from USPS mailboxes and are then "washed" and scanned, police said.

The police department has advised residents and businesses to post their outgoing mail directly at an authorized post office.

Here are some tips to avoid "mailbox fishing."

• Consider other methods of money transfer.
• Drop mail containing checks directly at the post office, or hand it over directly to the mail carrier.
• If using a mailbox, deposit the mail closer to the scheduled pick-up time.
• When writing a check, use a pen with pigmented ink that cannot be erased.

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