Crooks stealing checks from Post Office

Peter Switzer has been taking all of his outgoing his mail to the Edgewater Post Office Mail box for 15 years, until now.

Someone stole mail out of a mailbox in the Post Office parking lot, authorities say.

Switzer said his $76 Florida Power and Light check somehow was altered to be $3,276. Someone added a few numbers and cashed it. Lucky for Switzer, his credit union refunded his money.

"Four days later, my house payment was due, and if they hadn’t made it good. That check would have bounced!" said Switzer.

Five other people in the area reported checks stolen from this mailbo . All of the mail was put into the box on the south end of the Post Office parking lot on May 19 and 20.

Edgewater Police want people in the area who put outgoing mail in the box to check their bank accounts. They said an estimated $15,000 were stolen. Investigators think someone did a mobile deposit with the washed checks, sent the money to a bank and quickly took the money out.

"I thought this was the safest thing to do. From now on, I’m taking it inside and bringing it in the box inside," Switzer said.