{"id":3219,"date":"2023-01-20T12:57:34","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T16:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219"},"modified":"2023-01-20T12:57:37","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T16:57:37","slug":"new-york-mysteries-com-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219","title":{"rendered":"New York Mysteries. com"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fcbkbttn_buttons_block\" id=\"fcbkbttn_left\"><div class=\"fcbkbttn_button\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                                <img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nymysteries.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/facebook-button-plugin\/images\/standard-facebook-ico.png?w=474\" alt=\"Fb-Button\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div><div class=\"fb-share-button  \" data-href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219\" data-type=\"button_count\" data-size=\"small\"><\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For years I\u2019ve posted mail at the Avenue A and 14 Street mailbox in front of my building. I had noticed that the mailboxes had been altered so that no-one could open them. Last month I posted a sizable check to my mastercard provider. As I slid the envelope into the mailbox I felt a sticky substance. Realizing it was a means of trapping checks, I rammed the envelope into the mail box, hoping it wasn\u2019t sticking to the illegal glue. Of course, I should have taken it out. I called the mastercard people who were solicitous but what could they do? I had visions of a thief using a liquid that erases everything on\u00a0 my check except\u00a0 my signature, then filling it in with a large sum as noted in the Our Town article. I went to my bank. The bank\u2019s representative checked my check\u2019s number and saw that no money had been withdrawn &#8211; yet. Later that day I was notified that the mastercard company had received my check. I was lucky.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have copied this from the Jan. 20, 2023 Our Town issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The OUR TOWN article<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mailing Checks? Proceed With Caution.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>At least two UWS locals have become victims, after checks they sent in the mail were intercepted and altered. Across Manhattan, complaints are on the rise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/abigail-gruskin\"><strong>ABIGAIL GRUSKIN<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/upper-east-side\">UPPER EAST SIDE<\/a> \/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>| 19 JAN 2023 | 04:14<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"blob:http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/1608ab10-a78e-4a68-81f3-4aadd45b2075\" alt=\"mailbox-photo-2_4-5887634_20230119105854.jpg\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><br \/>Mail collection boxes on Manhattan\u2019s sidewalks are being targeted in check washing crimes. Photo: Abigail Gruskin<br \/><br \/><br \/><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"blob:http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/581ea94c-4105-4a51-97a8-431ad1e12614\" alt=\"screen-shot-2023-01-19-at-10-49-53-am_4-5887574_20230119105915.png\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><br \/>The U.S. Postal Inspection Service urges people to drop off their mail before the last collection time of the day. Mailboxes that formerly had pull-down doors now have thin slots to thwart thieves\u2019 \u201cmail fishing.\u201d Photo via a USPIS safety flier.<br \/><br \/><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After returning from a post-Thanksgiving visit with family out of state, one Upper West Side resident checked her bank account, only to find an expensive discrepancy. On Thursday, Dec. 15, she realized $7,000 \u2014 instead of the $75 she had originally sent as a charitable donation, in the form of a check \u2014 had been deducted. The check had been stolen and cashed by someone she didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s shocking, because you try to be careful with your money and then all of a sudden, out of the blue, it\u2019s gone,\u201d said the woman, who told her story on the condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Upper West Sider mailed her check dated Nov. 23, 2022 via a sidewalk USPS collection box on a stretch of West End Avenue between West 72nd and West 76th Streets. She\u2019d attempted to avoid foul play by sending a check, rather than doling out her credit card number over the phone or online \u2014 but it backfired. \u201cSomebody is making a good deal of money,\u201d she said. It\u2019s a crime that\u2019s been unfolding across Manhattan with increasing frequency over the past few months, according to U.S. Postal Inspector Glen McKechnie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Criminals On A Roll<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only a few days earlier, on Monday, Nov. 21, one West End Avenue resident mailed two checks, in the amounts of $15,000 and $1,500, on behalf of his company, Fantasy Interactive, Inc., according to police briefings. Later, his bank informed him that his checks had been intercepted by not one, but two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westsidespirit.com\/news\/crime-watch-NC2325924\">\u201cunknown suspects\u201d<\/a> who made themselves out as the payees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidents of mail thievery and check washing have been \u201crampant\u201d citywide, including on the Upper East Side, according to Council Member Julie Menin. \u201cThis is an enormous problem and it\u2019s particularly problematic for seniors,\u201d she said, explaining that the issue was hurting New Yorkers even back when she served as commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, formerly the Department of Consumer Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Midtown, near the intersection of East 38th Street and Madison Avenue, a man was arrested early in the morning on Wednesday, Jan. 18 for stealing mail, according to McKechnie. He said the man was found with mail from collection boxes at 401 Broadway and at the intersections of West 92nd Street and West 87th Street with West End Avenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McKechnie noted that despite rising complaints, incidents of theft are still only happening \u201chere and there.\u201d But criminals seem to be working with new tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Caught In A Sticky Situation<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the Upper West Side, the unlucky resident whose check was intercepted at the end of the year had previously noticed a sticky residue coating some collection boxes \u2014 which left her wondering if it could be linked with mail theft. A recent Fox 5 New York segment identified the \u201csticky substance\u201d as part of a technique used by criminals to make stealing mail easier, showing video footage of a man interfering with a USPS box on a New York sidewalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To avoid becoming a victim of mailbox fishing, the USPS suggests an easy fix: drop off your mail in advance of the last collection time listed on sidewalk boxes \u2014 and not afterward, when mail will sit unattended overnight, McKechnie said. \u201cThese criminals, they don\u2019t go at six, seven o\u2019clock at night to steal,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ll go two, three, four o\u2019clock in the morning, when the streets are deserted and it\u2019s dark.\u201d The NYPD advises people to bring mail containing sensitive or valuable information to a Post Office and <a href=\"https:\/\/www1.nyc.gov\/assets\/nypd\/downloads\/pdf\/crime_prevention\/crime-prevention-mailbox-fishing.pdf\">write checks using pens with permanent ink<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Menin\u2019s office and the 19th Precinct are distributing pens and the Council member is encouraging people to utilize online banking, to negate any need to send physical checks via mail. To teach older New Yorkers to use crucial online platforms, the City Council works with a group called Older Adults Technology Services (OATS). \u201cIf you switch to online banking, this then becomes a moot issue,\u201d Menin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though prevention is the best solution, according to McKechnie, the USPS often works with the NYPD to catch criminals. When investigating a case of mail theft, he explained, postal inspectors seek subpoenas to serve the banks where altered checks are deposited and collect account holder information plus relevant ATM video footage \u2014 a process that can take 90 days. McKechnie recommends that people make their complaints directly to the USPS in addition to the NYPD. (To report a case of mail theft, you can call the Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, collection boxes that previously had doors people could pull open were upgraded with new \u201chigh security\u201d features, including the thin slots with rings inside that mail is now pushed through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the Upper West Side woman\u2019s run in with mail theft, her bank took about a week to reimburse her, she said. Now, she and her husband are more cautious \u2014 and make more regular trips to the Post Office. \u201cWe definitely think twice about where we\u2019re putting our mail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s shocking, because you try to be careful with your money and then all of a sudden, out of the blue, it\u2019s gone.\u201d A woman on the UWS whose $75 written to a charity was altered to give $7,000 to a criminal who stole the check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=http:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/news\/mailing-checks-proceed-with-caution-KC2361059\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Mailing%20Checks?%20Proceed%20With%20Caution.&amp;url=http:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/news\/mailing-checks-proceed-with-caution-KC2361059\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/news\/mailing-checks-proceed-with-caution-KC2361059#disqus_thread\">1 comment<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tags<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/abigail-gruskin\"><strong>ABIGAIL GRUSKIN <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/check-washing\"><strong>CHECK WASHING <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/chelsea\"><strong>CHELSEA <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/downtown\"><strong>DOWNTOWN <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/glen-mckechnie\"><strong>GLEN MCKECHNIE <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/julie-menin\"><strong>JULIE MENIN <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/mail-theft\"><strong>MAIL THEFT <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/manhattan\"><strong>MANHATTAN <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/midtown-manhattan\"><strong>MIDTOWN MANHATTAN <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/upper-east-side\"><strong>UPPER EAST SIDE <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.otdowntown.com\/tag\/-\/meta\/upper-west-side\"><strong>UPPER WEST SIDE&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:connection<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-3219\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-3219\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-3219\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span>Pinterest<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-linkedin\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-linkedin-3219\" class=\"share-linkedin sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on LinkedIn\"><span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For years I\u2019ve posted mail at the Avenue A and 14 Street mailbox in front of my building. I had noticed that the mailboxes had been altered so that no-one could open them. Last month I posted a sizable check to my mastercard provider. As I slid the envelope into the mailbox I felt a &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">New York Mysteries. com<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:connection<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-3219\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-3219\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-3219\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span>Pinterest<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-linkedin\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-linkedin-3219\" class=\"share-linkedin sd-button share-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/?p=3219&amp;share=linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on LinkedIn\"><span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3QXad-PV","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3219"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3219"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3220,"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3219\/revisions\/3220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nymysteries.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}