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Posted on 02/11/2026 6:18:48 AM PST by lowbridge
is out thousands of dollars after they wrote two checks, not even close to that amount.
They said they're victims of a check washing scheme, and believe it is taking place at their local post office.
Therese Scarlati collected during her own investigation, collecting every sheet of paper, starting with those two checks.
Therese sent a $165 check to her insurance company. Her husband wrote this $64 check for the water bill — both mailed on the same day, yet somehow the amounts were both changed.
Her husband's was cashed for $5,700 in storage fees, while Therese's check was cashed for $5,200 for a snow plow rental.
"Well, I don't think there has been enough snow for $5,200!" she said.
In total, they could be out $11,000. But both checks were made out to the same unknown name — Q'shawn Jackson.
Therese said she got a call from Bank of America flagging her check for fraud.
"Right away I knew, no, I did not write that," she said.
Therese was told that a person with the Bank of America mobile app was trying to cash the washed checks.
"I've been in electronic security for over 20-some years," she said.
And with her background, she started to backtrack, starting with her mailman.
"He gave us some awareness of the post office issues," she said.
Therese said she came to the Lombard post office to do her own investigation and asked to see the back room. She said when she got there, she was taken by surprise.
"There was no cameras in the back area to watch how they are handling in the back," she said.
Therese also wrote a post on Facebook, and dozens commented, saying they had similar issues at the Lombard post office in the last few months.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
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Same thing happened to me. I didn’t lose any cash but the perp tried to use a credit card payment id written on two separate occasions. The rumor has it that someone has a set of master keys to the po drop boxes around town.
I believe this 100%. A few years ago, our mail carrier was convicted of stealing gift cards and other valuable mail. This recent ice storm kept our mailman away from our house for 2+ weeks. yesterday he finally showed with a package for me I had been expecting. It was torn wide open. Everything was intact only because there was nothing in it of real value.
Honestly do not remember the last time I wrote a check. No way I could find my checkbook today.
I was down to three or four checks a year and I really don’t have a why until now.
ChiCongo!
I wonder what’s in that filthy decrepit town to account for this? What could it be?
Postal Inspectors do not screw around.
Whoever did this will be prosecuted.
L
If you have the option of paying by check ask if you can call in you routing number and account number directly.
I caught my check coming through online banking the very first day and rang all the bells to stop the payment. “Tariq DeCosta” seems to have had a key to the mailbox outside the post office. He was able to wash out my daughter’s name,put in his own, did not bother to endorse the back, deposited electronically to PNC, not my bank. I don’t do electronic deposits, don’t know if you are supposed to endorse the back, seems like a set up for fraud if not. Of course, I turned in the proper report to USPS, never heard anything from them. And the mailbox is still sitting there around the corner from the front entrance, no sign of a security camera.No one explained to me how you can have an account at a bank for a deposit and not have this activity traceable.
Our church Treasurer sent a check for $5400 to one of the mission boards that we support. It was cashed.
When he didn’t receive a receipt in the typical time frame he checked with the mission. They had never received it.
The recipient’s name had been “washed”, and a new name was in that field.
The bank investigators haven’t been able to track the perp. These people are slick.
With the last batch of checks I ordered was a notification that the ink of “gel” ballpoint pens difficult/impossible to “wash”.
The way to avoid this is by using a Gel Ink Pen. It can’t be washed. Don’t pay online at your bank where a printed check is sent to the recipient which can also be easily washed and altered. I use online bill pay at my bank once a month for Utilities and credit accounts that are sent electronically. I actually had two check payments disappear in the mail and they were never cashed. I think it was because I was using a Gel Ink Pen.
This was some years ago before Covid. I mailed off a Bday card with a $50 bill. The young relative in Chicago never got it. About 3 months later I got the card back with a return to sender stamp on it. The address was legit...
If you want to get or renew a US passport, you’ll need to write a check if you’re mailing the paperwork in.
A friend said to only use gel-type pens when writing checks. They can’t wash that ink out, only the standard ink. I think she saw something about it on YouTube.
This should serve as a message to those luddites who never use bill pay or e-payments or etc. saying that a check in the mail is always safer.
“A friend said to only use gel-type pens when writing checks
The same information was written inside the package in which my recent set of checks was mailed. I don’t know if it’s a special kind of gel pen or any gel pen
Informative post. Thanks.
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