Residents asked not to put checks in mailboxes

FRANKLIN, Ind. (WISH) - An alert for homeowners; checks meant to pay bills are being stolen from mailboxes.

It's already happened 3 times in Johnson County and the sheriff there is concerned it will happen again.

"I'm livid. You know, we live in the country. This is a very nice area and I would never, never think something like this would happen and to us," said Sharon Hogue of Trafalgar.

Hogue and her husband were hit twice. Bill payments to the water company and a student loan never made it.

"With the economy being the way it is, we have a lot of people committing crimes we don't see every day around here," said Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox.

So far Sheriff Cox said thieves have gotten away with hundreds of dollars just by taking mail.

“It's very possible that these individuals may be moving from this county in to other counties," he said.

Sheriff Cox said it's not difficult for the thieves to find their victims. He says they are targeting homeowners with the red flag up on the side of their mailbox. Police said the thieves take out the mail inside. Envelopes that are meant for bill payments are then opened.

"The checks were washed; the pay to the order of section of the check was washed out and replaced with another name," Sheriff Cox said.

"What are the odds? We wouldn't have known it until my husband was balancing the check and noticed that there was a check for a large amount made out to a Wal-Mart," Hogue said.

Hogue said her family learned a big lesson.

"Anything of importance, do not put in your mailbox, at all. The minute I believe the red-flag is up on your mailbox makes you a target," she said.

Police said when and if the suspects are caught they are facing a number of charges, including forgery and theft. They could also face federal charges for tampering with someone's mail.

Police offer tips to avoid becoming a victim. They suggest taking your mail to the post office or put it in a drop box. You will also want to think about the type of pen you use the next time you're writing a check. Don't use ball-point pen because they are easy to erase. Police said make sure the pen you use is a JELL-PEN; that way it will bleed through the check making is difficult for someone to change what's on it.