WUPD is receiving multiple forgery cases which have been linked to a specific crime called Mailbox Phishing. Mailbox Phishing is when a perpetrator steals mail out of the mailbox in hopes to find checks, money orders, or credit cards. Stolen checks or money orders can be fraudulently altered and cashed at a financial institution. At this time, the exterior USPS Mailbox located in the 5200 block of Wakeforest and in the 5300 block of Academy have been the target of all West U cases. As the WUPD detectives continue to follow leads, we ask residents to consider these tips to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of fraud:
• Drop mail containing checks directly at the post office or hand it directly to your mail carrier.
• If you use a mailbox, deposit the mail as close to the scheduled pick-up time as possible.
• When writing check use, a pen with pigmented ink that cannot be erased.
• Consider transferring money via other methods.
• If you see any suspicious activity around mailboxes, call the police.