NEW ALBANY, Indiana (WLKY) — Bobby and Debbie Wilburn of New Albany say thieves stole and altered checks they mailed at the Elm Street post office, leading to about $14,000 in losses, with several other checks still unaccounted for.
The Wilburns, who run a construction business, said they dropped off more than 20 checks to cover business expenses. They later discovered that three of those checks had been altered and deposited by thieves.
“Today is our anniversary,” Debbie said. “We’re spending it at the bank.”
The couple first became aware of the issue after receiving an email alert from their bank, which revealed that a check had been altered.
“We actually still have that check number in our checkbook. So we didn’t even write that check,” Debbie said.
“We’re a small business—nine employees—and it hurts when you get hit like that,” Bobby said.
Debbie explained that the theft triggered multiple complications. “We had to close our account, pay $300 to get payroll checks here by Thursday, and pay late fees from everything not reaching where they’re supposed to be going.”
After Debbie shared their experience on Facebook, others in the community reported facing similar issues.
“It’s sad you have to go to Facebook to find out that this has been happening to a lot of other people,” Bobby said.
Indiana State Police confirmed they are investigating similar incidents.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service issued a statement:
“USPIS is aware of reports regarding stolen mail from the New Albany Post Office. There is an ongoing investigation being conducted by USPIS out of Indianapolis which covers southern Indiana. USPIS is in contact with local law enforcement who have received reports of the theft and have been instrumental in identifying local victims of this illegal activity.
“Combating mail theft is a priority for USPIS. We are coordinating with the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute criminal enterprises targeting the mail for their illegal activity. If any your viewers have been victims of this crime or have witnessed suspicious activity related to these criminal acts, they can report it to USPIS by calling 1-877-876-2455 or by filing a mail theft complaint online at uspis.gov/report.”
For now, the Wilburns said they will no longer send checks through the New Albany post office.
“I just think that everybody needs to know that this is going on down here and, you know, take precaution because, you know, it’s a hassle,” Bobby said.
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