Beware Of New IL Check Fraud Scam With Stolen Mail Drop Boxes

Is it just me or does it seem like nothing is safe anymore, there are pretty much scams for everything in Illinois nowadays.

Avoiding Scams In Illinois Has Become A Full-Time Job

Think about how busy your life is right now. You've got family, work, bills, house, car, and so many other things to keep you running nonstop. There really isn't room for anything else in your life right now but oh by the way, the world wants to throw something major on the top of your pile. Now, you have to protect yourself from scams and that's no easy task. They're coming at you in every direction.

RELATED: Illinois Thieves Break Into Post Office To Steal Mail

Illinois Restaurant Owner Scammed Out Of Thousands Of Dollars

Peter Spyropoulos owns East of Edens restaurant in Chicago. Recently, thousands of dollars were stolen from him through a check fraud scam. Here's a guy working his butt off to earn an honest living and the next thing you know his life is turned upside down by some sneaking thieves. It just doesn't seem right.

New Check Fraud Scam In Illinois

Basically, the victim was old school. He still wrote checks for bills and expenses. Then, the man would take them down to the corner and put them in the neighborhood mail drop box. Well, the thieves actually stole the whole thing to take whatever was inside. When they discovered his checks, the suspects knew they hit the jackpot. Officials say the bad guys used a brand new method the remove cash from the account.

According to cbsnews.com, 

What's new in this case is several of Spyropoulos' checks were stolen. Fraudsters took his checks and changed the pay-to-line and amount – so the bad guys got the money - and lots of it.

 

Moral To The Story

I think we can all learn a valuable lesson from this horrible incident. Never use the mail drop boxes. If you have to send something out, drop it off inside the actual post office. Also, avoid using checks whenever possible. For more tips, HERE.