Reports of mail theft rise in Farragut
“I will never mail another check,” said one Farragut resident, who asked to remain anonymous and was a victim of mail fraud. She reported the theft of her check on Jan. 13.
“I mailed a check at the drive-up mailbox at the Farragut Post Office,” she said. “About a week later, the person to whom I had written the check asked me if I mailed it. I said yes.
“After checking, I noticed the check was cashed within a day but not to the person I was sending it to,” the resident said. “I looked at the bank account online and saw someone had taken the name off and put a different name on it. Everything else on the check was the same.
“This had never happened to me before,” she said. “I thought, ‘Oh, no, I’m out that money.’ I called the bank. There’s a whole protocol you have to go through. After multiple calls, this is what I found out:
“First, I had to file a police report,” the resident said. “Then I had to get a copy of that report in person and take it to the bank and fill out an affidavit.”
Once the affidavit was filled out, she had to close the account on which the check was written, then open a new account.
“It took a week or so to get all the auto pays and other transactions moved to the new account,” the resident said. “But I did it, and the bank refunded the money. I was surprised.
“The police detective said it was a fraud ring,” she said. “Someone is at the post office and steals the checks.”
Then the thief either sends the check to someone else or sends it to an out-of-state account. Once the money is in that account, the person takes the money and closes the account, making it difficult to catch the suspects.
“The bank can’t release personal information, even to police,” the resident said.
“Needless to say, I will never mail another check,” she added, noting she plans to send money online, by Venmo or another electronic transfer.
“I’m glad that the bank refunded my money, but I had to go through hoops for them to do it,” the resident said. “I didn’t know mail fraud was a thing. I wish I had known. I’m happy to tell my story to avoid someone else the hassle.”
To others, she advised: “Don’t mail a check, period, because it can get forged. Someone is looking for checks.
“Do electronic funds or go in person and pay a bill,” the resident said. “It’s a risk, like Russian roulette.”
On her report, dated Jan. 13, it stated the complainant “called the Knox County Sheriff’s Office North Precinct to file a report on theft, fraud and forgery that occurred at the Farragut Post Office, located at 11409 Municipal Center Drive.
“Complainant stated she placed a check … for $1,250 in the Farragut Post Office box,” the report stated. “She was then notified that check was mobile-deposited into a Chase Bank account made out to the listed suspect, Jeremy Roberts. Complainant stated only the payee was changed on the check.”
There have been several reports to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service of mail being stolen from the outside mailbox at the Farragut Post Office.
Another report detailed a similar crime of theft, forgery and fraud in which a complainant mailed a check to Lenoir City Utilities Board for $7,010.06 at the Farragut Post Office.
“She said she dropped the envelope containing the check into the drive-up drop box in front of the Farragut Post Office,” the offense report stated. “According to the victim, on Dec. 2, she received a call from Lenoir City Utilities stating her payment was past due. She said she told them she had mailed it, and they said they would give it a few more days.
“The victim stated she checked her account and saw where a check cleared for the exact amount she had written to the utility company,” the report stated. “She advised she received another call yesterday saying they still hadn’t received it.
“According to the victim, she checked with her bank and got a copy of the check,” it added. “The victim advised the check didn’t look like her original check and had a different check number of 5320. She said this check had a different date; the payable to was changed to a Michael (last name was illegible); the number amount and written amount of the check were not her handwriting. The victim advised the signature looked like hers. She stated the suspect had written ‘final payment’ on the memo line.”
“Both the United States Postal Inspection Service and Postal Office of Inspector General are aware of the recent reports, and there is an ongoing investigation,” said Rob Firkin, a postal inspector assigned to the Knoxville domicile and public information officer for Knoxville and Chattanooga.
“As with most, if not all, mail theft, the driving factor for the suspects is to obtain checks or other negotiable instruments and convert them to their use (whether through washing the check, creating fraudulent checks using the bank and routing numbers, etc.),” Firkin said. “With regards to the prior case, the investigation remains active; however, one individual has been charged and is set to be sentenced in February in the Eastern District of Tennessee.”
A post office staff member at the Farragut Post Office said he recalled there was a rash of similar mail thefts last summer, which occurred across Knox County, but someone was apprehended and arrested in that case.
To better protect themselves from mail theft, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends the following:
• Do not deposit any mail in a USPS collection box after the last collection time;
• Keep track of checks written and monitor your account for any changes in amount;
• Do not send cash through the mail;
• Be cautious in responding to unsolicited or generic work-from-home offers;
• Never share financial or personally identifying information with those you do not know or trust;
• Notify USPIS of any mail theft through uspis.gov/report or by calling 877-876-2455.
Likewise, post office staff recommends bringing mail inside the post office rather than using the outside mailbox, as suspects don’t want to be seen but can be observed in the building.
“As the case progresses, I may be able to speak more specifically on it,” Firkin said. “Much is being done that we do not disclose for the security of the investigation.”
