Maryland police warn of an ‘unprecedented’ wave of mail theft — with 1 man out $180,000. Here's how the thieves are pulling it off

Ongoing cases of mail theft in Baltimore and the surrounding area have led to calls for a federal investigation. Checks and money orders sent through the United States Postal Service are being intercepted, altered and cashed by thieves who have stolen what may amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

How are thieves stealing mail?

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins told WMAR-2 News the series of incidents is “really unprecedented.”

“We’re seeing a string of theft of checks, probably upwards of 100 cases right now and probably totaling several hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Jenkins said.

Investigators believe thieves are utilizing stolen "arrow keys" — universal master keys that can open multiple mailboxes. In February, WBAL-TV News reported that these keys were being used in mail theft operations. A USPS Inspector General audit reviewed by the news outlet revealed that in January, several Maryland post offices had arrow keys that were either missing or improperly secured. The United States Postal Service announced plans in 2023 to upgrade from the outdated arrow locks to electronic locking systems.

Based on a Thomson Reuters report analyzing data from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, check-fraud Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) reached 682,276 in 2024, slightly increasing from 665,505 in 2023. This represents a dramatic rise of nearly 95% since 2021, when only 350,000 check-fraud SARs were documented.

In a recent public service announcement, the FBI highlighted the growing concern of check fraud stemming from mail theft. According to the alert, criminals are obtaining checks through various methods, including stealing from residential mailboxes and USPS collection boxes, conducting burglaries and robberies of postal facilities and workers, and through corruption involving postal employees.

In April, WMAR-2 News reported on several Baltimore residents who say their checks and money orders were stolen and altered, including one man who said he had mailed a check inside a post office.

The FBI warning says that thieves alter checks by a process called “check washing,” where chemicals are used to physically alter a check, usually changing the payee and amount.

Fraudsters can also use check “cooking” techniques, where photo-editing software and advanced printers are used to manufacture checks. The FBI says, “often these checks are written for smaller amounts which can go undetected for longer periods of time by escaping the scrutiny or visibility of a larger check amount.”

Stolen checks are then deposited by others colluding with fraudsters, or sold online to other bad actors. In Michigan, four individuals were recently charged in a case involving a $63-million mail theft conspiracy where it’s alleged two USPS employees stole mail — including a large number of tax refund checks — and two other individuals sold the stolen mail online.

Although financial institutions can fight fraud by encouraging customers to switch to digital payment methods, the best way to prevent fraud may be to make the public aware of the problem.

Protect yourself

The FBI says there are several ways to protect your mail and your checks.

To ensure the security of your mail, avoid keeping it in your mailbox overnight, and arrange for the post office to hold your mail when you're away. Additionally, reach out to the sender if you're expecting important mail that hasn't arrived.