EAST HARLEM — A rash of check thefts from East Harlem mailboxes has claimed its 10th victim, the NYPD said.
A 64-year-old mailed a check to pay bills from a mailbox on East 117th Street and Lexington Avenue around 7 a.m. Dec. 7 but, weeks later, discovered the check had been altered to $1,147 from an undisclosed amount and cashed by somebody other than the intended recipient, police said.
The victim reported it to police on Dec. 19.
Since mid-August, multiple reports of checks being stolen from mailboxes have been filed in the 25th Precinct. The stolen checks have totaled more than $80,000.
About a week ago, police arrested three mail scammers for "fishing" envelopes out of Uptown postal boxes after residents in Washington Heights and Inwood spotted several mailboxes with glue along the inside lid to trap letters as they’re placed inside.
The map below shows which East Harlem postal boxes have been targeted:
