After Glen Rock Frauds, Authorities Investigate 5 Vandalized Public Mailboxes in Fort Lee; Financial Documents Compromised.
thje staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fort Lee, NJ – Another Bergen County community is grappling with a serious wave of mail theft. The Fort Lee Police Department has issued an urgent warning after discovering that several public mailboxes were vandalized and emptied, potentially compromising the financial security of local residents.
This alert comes months after the neighboring town of Glen Rock experienced a prolonged series of mail-related fraud incidents, suggesting a persistent pattern of crime across the county.
Five Mailboxes Compromised in Fort Lee
According to Fort Lee Police Chief Matthew Hintze, five public mailboxes in the borough were found with their front panels removed on September 21. Officials believe that any mail deposited after 3 p.m. on Friday, September 20, may have been stolen and compromised.
The vandalized mailboxes were located at key spots in Fort Lee:
- 309 Main St.
- 1213 Anderson Ave./Palisade Post Office
- 1475 Bergen Blvd./Plaza West
- 231 Main Street/New Post Office
- Abbott Boulevard/Columbia Avenue
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) in Newark is now leading the federal investigation into the possible mail theft.
Critical Warning: Monitor Your Financial Accounts NOW
Chief Hintze stressed the urgency of the situation, urging residents to take immediate action:
“We urge you to monitor all of your financial accounts and all your bank transactions. Please look for any suspicious activity. The people that committed this theft are going to try to use your identification to open up fraudulent accounts or conduct fraudulent transactions.”
This type of crime typically involves criminals intercepting checks or documents containing personal information, then using them to commit check washing fraud or identity theft.
Glen Rock Precedent: Defaced Checks & Months of Fraud
The concerns are heightened by the precedent set in nearby Glen Rock, where residents have been victims of fraud for the better part of the last year.
Glen Rock police reported that checks mailed from a public mailbox in front of the post office there were intercepted, defaced, and fraudulently cashed by unintended recipients. These reports of fraud have been ongoing since February, with the most recent incident reported in August.
Fort Lee Police Chief’s Safety Recommendation
To mitigate the risk of becoming the next victim, Chief Hintze strongly recommended that Fort Lee residents avoid using public, freestanding mailboxes altogether:
“Go inside the post offices to mail your envelopes,” the Chief advised, suggesting that the heightened security of indoor slots is the best defense against mailbox vandalism and theft.
If you believe your mail was stolen from one of the listed Fort Lee mailboxes on or after September 20, please contact the Fort Lee Police Department and the USPIS immediately.
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The two mailboxes that sat in front of the Midland Park post office for many years were vandalized and have been replaced by a bench in which no one will ever sit.