Group raked in $5 million by stealing paychecks, birthday cards from mail, CA cops say

Fifty-six people accused of scamming almost $5 million in a mail theft and postal fraud scheme have been arrested and face a multitude of charges, authorities in California said.

The suspects would alter stolen checks “then quickly withdrew money from ATMs before the banks discovered the checks were forged,” according to an Oct. 7 news release from state Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Investigators with U.S. Postal Services Inspections believe that over 750 Californians fell victim to the scheme and that the stolen money was used toward other illegal activity, according to the news release.

The scheme began in 2018 when the suspects would steal either paychecks or birthday cards in the mail, rub off the names of the recipients and then write in their own names, according to Vigour Times.

“Let this be a strong warning to anyone seeking to steal people’s hard-earned money: We will find you, and we will hold you accountable,” Bonta in the news release.

Thirty-four law enforcement teams from local, state and federal agencies swept through Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties on Oct. 6 and 7 to make the arrests, according to the news release.

The suspects are facing charges of “aggravated white collar crime in excess of $500,000, aggravated white collar crime in excess of $100,000, conspiracy to commit grand theft by false pretenses, forgery related to an item exceeding $950, money laundering, and grand theft by false pretenses,” the news release states.

This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Group raked in $5 million by stealing paychecks, birthday cards from mail, CA cops say."