Stolen checks cause pain for everyone

After reading Sylvia C. Drugge’s Oct. 16 letter (“Postal Service: Report missing mail to postmaster”) I decided to write and share my family’s story in the hopes it would help other people avoid our situation.

Several weeks ago a box of checks was stolen from our mailbox. We found out the checks had been stolen in a matter of days so we were able to protect ourselves financially, unfortunately local business have not been so lucky. The thieves continue to write bad checks to local businesses. So far approximately 50 have been written and the dollar amount is over $10,000.

Please, if you are a business owner or work in retail, check identification. Three people have been arrested so far. We have been informed by the postal investigator that they probably will not go to trial and not serve any jail time. Neither my husband nor I are able to write checks any longer because our names have been sent to all the check recovery agencies. I was in a local store recently and there was a copy of one of my stolen checks taped prominently behind the register. I was so humiliated I left the store.

Please, if you are having your personal checks sent to your house, think twice. We have a locking mailbox on our house (the previous one was on the street), and we are having all checks sent to our credit union where we will have to show I.D. to pick them up. I would hate to see any other family go through the difficulties we are going through.

Everett