Mail Theft and Forgery Are on Rise, Police Warn

After a frantic Buena Park woman discovered that her checking account had been cleaned out by a check forger--on the day before her wedding--police Sunday issued a warning: Mail theft and forgery are increasing.

“For the last month or two we have been getting calls every day on forgeries in progress,” said Sgt. Jeff Kingsbury of the Buena Park Police Department. “It’s not just a problem in Buena Park, it’s happening all over.”

Usually in the darkness of night, thieves canvass neighborhoods or business parks searching mailboxes for checks and credit cards, Kingsbury said. With phony identifications and chemicals, the checks can then be altered and cashed.

“These people work in the middle of the night,” Kingsbury said. “They collect mail, sort through it and ‘wash’ the checks they find, cleaning everything off but the signature.”

A Buena Park Police Department female employee who left several checks in envelopes in the mailbox overnight recently lost $6,400, Kingsbury said. One check was later altered from $80 to $2,000.

In another case last Friday, the day before her wedding, 21-year-old Kristen Andersen of Buena Park discovered her checking account had been emptied by someone forging stolen checks, Kingsbury said.

“There’s a lot of money going into this,” he said.

Arrests are being made, and police believe that two men being held in Orange County Jail on suspicion of possession of stolen property and forgery were practicing the scam, Kingsbury said.

Rex Alado, 23, and Real Sabio Tojot, 23, both of Long Beach, were arrested about 5:50 a.m. Nov. 25 by police who found more than 100 stolen items in their car, including checks, credit cards, bank access cards and Social Security cards, and a small amount of methamphetamine, according to Kingsbury.

Police advise that no mail be left in mailboxes overnight, and that checks, credit card slips or identifying information be torn up before being discarded.

“If anyone sees someone going through mailboxes at night, call the police,” Kingsbury said.