Since September, 39 postal workers in Chicago have been robbed of their master keys (Knowles & Pistone, 2022).
Check thieves gain access to the blue USPS mailboxes by robbing postal workers of their master keys or buying stolen keys online for $800 - $2,500 (Struett, Check fraud spikes: Chicago sees jump in checks stolen from mailboxes, ‘washed’ and cashed for thousands of dollars, 2022). Most checks are stolen in the mail, from personal and official blue USPS mailboxes. You can help prevent check washing by using indelible gel black ink, mailing your checks at the post office instead of personal or USPS blue mailboxes, setting limits on your account, and paying your bills online. How can I prevent one of my checks from being washed? In most cases, checks are stolen from the mail before they are washed and rewritten. Check washing is a type of fraud that occurs when a stolen check is treated with a chemical formula to remove its ink or “wash the check.” Then the check is rewritten with a higher amount, addressed to a new payee, and deposited.