TRAFALGAR -
The Johnson County Sheriff's Department is investigating three reports overnight where checks were stolen from mailboxes, forged and cashed.
The sheriff is asking residents to stop putting signed checks in the mail for the postal carrier to pick up and deliver.
"These types of reports occur every now and then. A homeowner will put a stamped envelope in their mailbox and will raise the flag indicating to the postal carrier they have an item in the box for them. Thieves are driving around looking for the flag in the raised position," said Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox.
The thieves then remove the mail from the box and if a check is inside they will change the section of "Pay to the Order of" to their name or a fictitious name, and then they get the cash.
"This is a federal offense. This was my mail," said Sharon Hogue.
A thief stole mail from Hogue's Trafalgar home. She learned of the crime days later after calls from creditors saying her family failed to make payments.
"In which we had made the payments. When we looked into it, our checks had been altered and spent at another store," Hogue said.
She says with school-aged children, including college, money at her home is tight.
Other victims say the thefts likely happened in broad daylight.
Police say you can keep your mail safe by knowing your mail delivery schedule, introducing yourself to your mail carrier and not using your mailbox for transactions. You should call the post office if the mail suddenly stops for several days to make sure no one has put in a fake change of address request.
After noticing a red flag up on the mailbox at Betty Hague's Trafalgar home, she says, "Get a life! You know, work for your money."
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