Theft Of Mail Generating Fraud Complaints In Newtown Borough: Police

NEWTOWN BOROUGH - A theft of mail at the Newtown Post Office over the weekend is generating fraud complaints in neighboring Newtown Borough

On Saturday night two men were spotted fishing mail out of an outside mailbox at the Newtown Post Office on Terry Drive, according to Newtown Township Police. They fled when police arrived.

The incident prompted Newtown Township Police to issue an advisory to residents who may have dropped their mail in the boxes over the weekend to monitor their bank statements for any fraudulent activity.

Stolen mail from freestanding postal collection boxes have become a widespread problem. What happens is people will steal mail, open up bills and use a process called washing a check to change the name of the payee.

“The incident occurred in the township, but has unfortunately involved a number our residents,” said Newtown Borough Police Chief James Sabath.

According to Chief Sabath, residents are finding out now that the money that they thought was being sent to Chase or another financial institution is being rerouted.

“It seems like every day we have somebody else come into the station. A lot of them are elderly,” he said. “We have been working with the township to see if we can stop this. We’re also working with the fraud units at the banks to see if we can get people’s money back to them.”

The best thing residents can do to protect themselves when mailing checks is to mail them inside the post office and not at the freestanding postal boxes.

In other borough police incidents, Sabath reported the arrest of a driver on State Street for DUI and resisting arrest. “We don’t know where he crashed his car, but it was severely disabled on State Street,” said the chief.

Police also captured a wanted man out of Montgomery County after he illegally parked in front of the Starbucks on South State Street creating a safety hazard.

“He spent a weekend in Montgomery County jail cell,” said the chief. “So the message is if you park illegally outside of Starbucks you could go to jail.”

The Chief also reported a number of arrests through the use of the department’s license plate readers. The LPR’s read license plates and immediately alert police to any outstanding arrest warrants.

“One of the arrests was for an individual wanted for burglary. He was on his way to work on a house in Newtown when he was arrested for a burglary he committed in Montgomery County.

“Another individual was arrested as a fugitive out of New Jersey with weapons violations,” said the chief.