Newton Police share information about mailbox fishing:

We have recently seen an increased number fraudulent checks reported to us that we believe were involved with mailbox fishing schemes. While our officers have been vigilant in monitoring mailboxes overnight, these thefts are still occurring in Newton and neighboring communities. Please review these safety tips to protect yourself from becoming a victim!

What is mailbox fishing? Thieves gain access to US Post Office Mailboxes and steal mail. They then look for checks and other forms of money or personal information. Then, they use a solvent to wash the original writing off the check. From there, they can easily alter the dollar amount, and the payee. Next, they typically ask a middleman to deposit the check on their behalf in exchange for a cut of the stolen money. Victims of this scam can end up losing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.