life and your money getting
results. The goal, KPRC, 2
investigates.
>> From identity theft to check washing the crimes related to
washing the crimes related to
our country’s mail theft
problem are troubling.
>> After months of digging
KPRC, 2 investigator Amy Davis
has discovered an enterprise
so organized these are selling stolen checks in the mailbox
stolen checks in the mailbox
keys for thousands of dollars
online.
>> And U.S. Postal Service.
Employees say the agency is failing to alert people.
failing to alert people.
♪
>> A broken blocks far awful.
A seemingly isolated case there. 6300 boxes. A lot of
there. 6300 boxes. A lot of
money. KPRC, 2 investigates has
introduced you to victims.
This is check that I wrote
their checks stolen out of
mailboxes. $25 washed rewritten
and cash for thousands more
without the strangers.
>> Check had cleared, but it
was written for $7800 to an
unknown person. >> But we learned what’s
>> But we learned what’s
happening now is much bigger.
>> It’s happening everywhere.
But Texas, New York,
California, Ohio and Florida. By far the worst.
By far the worst.
>> Frank Albert O is the
president of the Postal Police
Officers Association. Forget
the one office where thieves
go box to box to steal mail. These are volume attacks.
These are volume attacks.
>> Hundreds of victims who want
to bomb attacks. It’s a serious
problem.
>> Thieves are robbing mail carriers at gunpoint all over
carriers at gunpoint all over
the country.
>> This
>> mailman in East Houston
asked homeowners to call police
seconds after he was robbed on
his route. Teams want the mail, but they’re also after these
but they’re also after these
Arrow Keys.
>> An arrow key can get access
to all the mail and the zip
code.
>> One arrow he can open
hundreds of mailboxes. And these blue postal service
these blue postal service
boxes.
Just last week, deputies
arrested this pair in a traffic
stop on the Sam Houston Tollway
on the east side. Cops say they found cocaine marijuana 120
found cocaine marijuana 120
pieces of mail. And a U.S.
postal service master Key
Burgos said when carriers are
robbed of the Keys, the Postal
Service knows which zip code is at risk, but they don’t share
at risk, but they don’t share
that information with people
who live there.
>> Not only do they not notify
people, they downplay the
problem. >> And we’ve learned Crooks
>> And we’ve learned Crooks
are selling the keys online for
up to $1000. They also buy and
sell checks from stolen mail
and messaging apps like
Telegram and Whats app. It’s where this picture was posted.
where this picture was posted.
5 checks for sale. 4 of them
dropped in this West Houston
mailbox days earlier. Pius.
This is Amy Davis with KPRC. >> I’m looking at it. Check
>> I’m looking at it. Check
that you wrote. It has been
posted for sale online. We call
the owners to let them know
their checks and their bank
accounts were exposed.
>> It was panic. Jeremy Lord rushed to his bank to cancel
rushed to his bank to cancel
the check. He had written to
his insurance company.
>> The bank did recommend
closing the account and also
advised the day. The very
careful about writing checks moving forward.
moving forward.
>> The U.S. Postal Inspection
Service does admit it’s seen
an increase in mail, theft,
complaints and robberies of
postal employees. That started during the pandemic. At that
during the pandemic. At that
same time, the agency benched
its entire postal police force
by issuing this August 2020
advisory limiting their
jurisdiction to protecting postal service
postal service
premises. Only.
>> And since then, mail theft
has absolutely exploded.
I mean, obviously there’s a correlation we’re just pulled
correlation we’re just pulled
it makes no sense. You have a
bad should correct. You have
a gun. Yes, you have handcuffs.
Yes. Landy Leighton is a postal
police association member. He served in Houston since 2010
He served in Houston since 2010
but says sitting on the
sidelines watching mail, theft
surge.
>> Makes him feel useless.
If we’re not out there to see it deter it, prevented it.
it deter it, prevented it.
Obviously you’re going to be
what we have now, which is a
spike in all that. No one from
the Postal Service would talk
with us on camera. But when we asked for all reported cases
asked for all reported cases
of mail theft of greater
Houston, they told us in 2021
they received more than 8,400 complaints of mail theft here.
complaints of mail theft here.
The most complaints came from
ZIP code 7, 7, 4, 9, 4, 232
complaints here in the Katy
Cinco Ranch area.
>> But no matter where you live, the best thing you can do
live, the best thing you can do
to protect yourself and your
money. Never, ever put a check
in the mail. It’s similar to
McDonald’s saying don’t you
remember smashed literally what’s happening where really
what’s happening where really
telling people don’t know
anything in the blue collection
boxes.
>> The Postal Service brand has
been destroyed and they’re
allowing it to happen. They
have a police force in school. The Post’s own police force.
The Post’s own police force.
They should use.
>> There are steps being taken
at the federal level will stay
on top of that for you and keep
you posted if you suspect you’ve been a victim of mail
you’ve been a victim of mail
theft, there’s a list of