Articles Tagged with mail fraud

The U.S. Postal Service is facing backlash over the rise in check washing. Check washing is the sort of crime you saw in Catch Me if You Can, where an individual will steal a check from someone else, remove the name from the check, and put their own name on the check before cashing it. Obviously, that is a crime similar to forgery and fraud. However, these five suspects are accused of targeting the U.S. Postal service, which leaves them vulnerable to federal prosecution for specific crimes targeting interstate commerce. Authorities allege that the men had illegal access to stolen mailbox keys that they used to raid U.S. mailboxes. They targeted checks in the mail, washed them, and then cashed them under fraudulent names. 

Possession of the mailbox key alone is a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison. Three of the defendants are also facing charges related to the theft of mail. Often, these checks are sold on the internet.

Postal Service Apologies for Lack of Transparency