Checks for local woman’s wedding vendors stolen from her mailbox

Multiple checks intended for a local woman’s wedding vendors were snatched from her mailbox earlier this week.

Ashley Campbell, of Cranberry Township, said she discovered the theft while monitoring her bank account on Wednesday. An altered check, totaling about $2300 had cleared from her account.

“It was my signature but everything else was changed, and it looks very different, too. Numbers are skewed off to the side, different writing as well,” she said. “I was terrified, I actually started to have a panic attack.”

Campbell called police, visited her bank, and contacted her neighbors.

A neighbor with surveillance cameras located video of the apparent thief drive up to her home’s mailbox, remove the outgoing envelopes, and take off during the early morning hours on Tuesday.

Campbell said she had placed the checks in the box the evening before, something she habitually did with no prior issues.

“The flag was up, so I definitely think that was a red flag, if you will.”

Campbell told us that the check was cashed at a Dollar Bank in Braddock Hills. She closed her account and voided the other checks.

According to the United States Postal Inspection Service, this isn’t an uncommon scheme.

“Check washing scams involve changing the payee names and often the dollar amounts on checks and fraudulently depositing them,” according to USPIS . “Occasionally, these checks are stolen from mailboxes and washed in chemicals to remove the ink.”

USPIS says that each year, it recovers more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders.

Channel 11 reached out to Cranberry Police. According to the chief, there are no suspects, as of last check, but investigators are working with the bank to obtain surveillance images of the thief. The chief advises people to not place outgoing mail in their mailboxes, and to always bring checks directly to the post office.

Campbell said she wanted to share her story to bring attention to this type of scheme, and prevent others from falling victim.

She hopes her stolen funds will eventually be returned. The altered check had been intended for her wedding photographer.

“It’s the last thing we needed to be worried about, we just want to enjoy our day and are so excited for it to come,” Campbell said. “So, it’s sad.”

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