Thieves seen stealing mail from blue USPS collection boxes in Needham

By Juli McDonald

Updated on: July 6, 2023 / 11:21 PM / CBS Boston

NEEDHAM - Police are asking all Needham residents to stop using blue United States Postal Service collection boxes after thieves were spotted stealing mail from one earlier in the week.

Officers responded to a "mailbox phishing in progress" on Great Plain Avenue Monday morning.

"What this means is that suspects were actively engaging in stealing mail, specifically looking for checks to 'wash,'" police said. "The suspects were gone on arrival but mail was left scattered outside of the mailbox."

"One of the ladies said, 'Do you know that somebody stole the mail from the mailbox at the corner of Linden Street and Great Plain Ave?' I said, 'That's my mailbox!'" one neighbor explained, of learning about the incident from a friend.

Anyone who may have used mailboxes in the area to send a check is asked to make sure their payment went through, otherwise they may want to contact their bank and cancel it.

"Once again, we are asking ALL RESIDENTS to not use the outdoor blue Post Office bins," police said. "Please bring your outgoing mail directly into the Post Office during office hours."

"I just can't believe that people are able to do that. I'm going to rethink what I do with my mail," another Needham woman said.

The Springfield Police Department also recently warned residents not to mail checks using blue collection boxes.

The post office said recently it's seen an increase in attacks on letter carriers as well as mail fraud incidents. They said fraudsters are targeting residents' mailboxes and blue USPS collection boxes.

CBS News reports that the theft issues have prompted the USPS to advise that Americans avoid depositing mail in blue collection boxes or leaving it in their own mailboxes for a carrier to pick up. Instead, the agency is now recommending that patrons come inside their local post office to securely send mail.

If a check is stolen, thieves could use a technique called "check washing" to scam people out of their money. That involves using chemicals to erase writing on the check, and then fraudulently filling in new information.

The USPS recommends that people post mail inside their local post office or at their workplace; alternatively, they can hand their mail directly to a mail carrier. However, the USPS itself hasn't issued any specific guidance on mailing checks, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service told CBS MoneyWatch.

"Our recommendations are provided as an extra precaution for those who feel more comfortable taking their mail to the Postal Office," the agency said.

Juli McDonald is a general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV.

First published on July 6, 2023 / 4:43 PM