The Aporia · An elderly San Francisco woman mailed checks to pay her bills; thieves took $14,000 from her

TOI World Desk

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An elderly woman in San Francisco lost $14,000 from her bank account after thieves stole cheque payments she mailed, changed the payment details, and cashed them. asserted

she → lose → them

The case, reported by ABC7 News, showed a growing problem of mail theft and cheque washing across the Bay Area. asserted

case → report → Area

Cheque washing is a type of fraud in which criminals use chemicals such as acetone or bleach to remove the name and amount written on a genuine cheque while leaving the original signature untouched. asserted

criminals → use → signature

They then rewrite the cheque with a different name and amount and use it to steal money from the victim’s account. asserted

They → rewrite → account

In this case, the woman mailed several routine cheques to pay utility and personal bills. asserted

woman → mail → bills

Instead of reaching the intended companies and service providers, the cheques were stolen while in transit. asserted

cheques → reach → transit

The thieves altered the details and successfully deposited the cheques, taking $14,000 before the fraud was discovered. asserted

fraud → alter → 14,000

Growing mail theft across the Bay Area The incident reflects a wider trend identified by law enforcement agencies and postal inspectors across California. asserted

incident → grow → California

According to ABC7, authorities have seen a sharp increase in mail theft involving both blue US Postal Service collection boxes and residential mailboxes. uncertain

authorities → accord → boxes

Thieves often use stolen master keys, known as arrow keys, to open postal collection boxes. asserted

Thieves → use → boxes

After gaining access, they search through the mail looking for envelopes that contain paper cheques. asserted

that → gain → cheques

Financial crime experts say that once a cheque is washed and rewritten, it is often deposited through mobile banking apps or cashed at retail locations before the account holder notices anything is wrong. asserted

anything → say → locations

Many victims only learn about the fraud weeks later after receiving overdue payment notices from utility companies or other service providers. asserted

victims → learn → companies

For older residents, recovering money lost through cheque fraud can be a long and frustrating process. asserted

recovering → recover → fraud

Although federal banking regulations generally protect consumers from unauthorized transactions, banks often carry out detailed investigations before reimbursing stolen funds. asserted

banks → protect → funds

Legal experts and consumer advocates quoted by ABC7 said senior citizens are frequently targeted because they are more likely to use paper cheques for regular payments instead of digital banking methods. asserted

they → quote → methods

As reports of cheque fraud continue to rise, the US Postal Inspection Service advises people to mail cheques from inside post office buildings rather than using outdoor collection boxes. asserted

Service → continue → boxes

Authorities also recommend checking bank statements regularly, using permanent gel ink that is harder to wash off, and switching to electronic payment systems whenever possible. asserted

that → recommend → systems

The investigation into the San Francisco case is still ongoing as local police and postal inspectors examine security footage and banking records in an effort to identify those responsible. asserted

police → examine → those

An elderly San Francisco woman mailed checks to pay her bills; thieves took $14,000 from her

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