Woman almost loses thousands of dollars in check washing crime

Name: Woman almost loses thousands of dollars in check washing crime
Uploaded: 2025-07-15T21:06:54.000Z
Duration: 2 min 22 s
Description: Checks taken from local mailboxes by thieves who change the information and take the money for themselves. Only on WRAL, a woman who thought she was taking all the right steps, still became a victim of check washing.

Checks taken from local mailboxes by thieves who change the information and take the money for themselves. Only on WRAL, a woman who thought she was taking all the right steps, still became a victim of check washing.

Posted 7/15/2025, 9:06:54 PM Updated 7/15/2025, 10:15:45 PM

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ALRIGHT, SCAMMERS STEALING

CHECKS FROM MAILBOXES, THEN

CHANGING INFORMATION AND TAKING

THE MONEY FOR THEMSELVES.

THIS IS CALLED CHECK WASHING

AND IT'S A CRIME. POLICE ARE

SEEING MORE OF.

>> PARTICULARLY HERE IN WAKE

COUNTY ONLY ON WRAL. CARLY

HAYNES TALKED WITH A LOCAL

WOMAN WHO TOOK ALL THE

RECOMMENDED STEPS TO TRY TO

PREVENT THIS. STILL, SHE BECAME

A VICTIM. SHE JOINS US NOW LIVE

FROM A POST OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN

RALEIGH CAR. LEASE.

WE KNOW YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S

SAFER TO DROP OFF YOUR CHECK TO

A BLUE BOX IN FOR THE POST

OFFICE OR MAYBE TO THE POST

OFFICE ITSELF.

>> AND IT'S TRUE THAT MIGHT

BE SAFER THAN DROPPING OFF A

CHECK FOR IT TO BE SENT OUT

FROM YOUR MAILBOX. BUT AS WE'VE

SEEN IN WAKE COUNTY RECENTLY,

IT'S NOT ALWAYS 100% SAFE.

>> I KNEW THAT WAS NOT MY

HANDWRITING. JANE O'CONNOR

LOOKS AT THE BANK RECORD OF A

CHECK. SHE SAID, BUT NEVER

WROTE, OF COURSE, I'M RACKING

MY BRAIN THINKING WHAT, $4,000.

WHY WOULD I WRITTEN A CHECK TO

SOMEONE FOR $4,000 AND THEY

CHANGED THE NAME OF WHO IT WENT

TO. PUT THEIR OWN NAME ON THEIR

FEET STOLEN. $85 CHECK O'CONNOR

ROAD FOR A VENDOR AND THEY

CHEMICALLY WASHED AND ALTERED

IT. I FELT LIKE I HAD DONE

EVERYTHING RIGHT BY GOING INTO

THE POST OFFICE TO MAKE THAT

PAYMENT THAT WE COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE CONTINUES TO

SEE MORE OF THESE CRIMES AND

THE CRIMINALS OR KEEP THEY KEEP

CHANGING

THE GAME.

>> 2. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S

WHAT CASES AS A SERGEANT

CURRENT STEINBERGER SAYS

CRIMINALS MAY RESEARCH BUSINESS

ADDRESSES AND WE FOR MAIL TO

COME BY. THEY OFTEN CHANGE

CHECKS TO BELOW $10,000.

IT'S BASICALLY IT'S IT'S A WAY

FOR THEM NOT TO BE NOTICED.

CODIFIED ON THE RADAR IF THEY

KEEP THE AMOUNT OF LOW ENOUGH,

THE U.S. POSTAL INSPECTION

SERVICE HAS TIPS TO AVOID BEING

A VICTIM

>> WRITE CHECKS WITH BLUE OR

BLACK GEL PENS, INK. THAT CAN'T

BE WASHED DEPOSIT MALE BEFORE

LAST PICKUP AND RETRIEVE MALE.

QUICKLY, YOU'RE SAYING IT CAN

HAPPEN ANYWHERE, ANYWHERE.

YES.

THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

ALSO REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE

PEOPLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS AND

HIGH EARLY ONLINE RATHER THAN

SENDING ANYTHING.

>> BY MAIL. BUT IF YOU DO NEED

TO SEND A CHECK, THE SHERIFF'S

OFFICE RECOMMENDS CANDIDATE

DIRECTLY TO THE VENDOR IN