Five members of a Miami criminal ring pleaded guilty to stealing $1.7 million through check washing and mail theft using stolen USPS arrow keys. The case highlights a national surge in mail theft-related check fraud, with suspicious activity reports rising 139% since 2020.
A Missouri postal carrier sold her USPS arrow key and stole checks from the mail for over a year. Her co-conspirator attempted $1.2 million in fraudulent deposits. The FBI says check fraud from mail theft has nearly doubled.
Quick Answer: Check cashing scams involve criminals sending fake official-looking checks with job offers or purchase requests, then asking victims to deposit the check and wire back the “overpayment” difference. Victims lose the wired money and must repay banks for the fake check amount once the fraud is discovered.This isn’t necessarily a new scam, but …
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