The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating thefts from U.S. Post Office mailboxes in northern Ohio.

Ian Ortega, postal inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Cleveland field office, said the agency is "aware of the recent trend in blue box thefts in Northern Ohio and is actively working several investigations with the assistance from our local law enforcement partners."

"As these are active investigations, the Inspection Service cannot provide specifics regarding these matters, as to not jeopardize the integrity of the cases," Ortega said.

Anyone who has information related to the blue collection box thefts can contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. Any information will be kept confidential.

Checks stolen from Ohio mail, altered to different amounts and payees

The Broadview Heights Police Department on Dec. 7 said on Facebook that it had received an influx of stolen and altered check reports, with people reporting their personal checks were altered to reflect a higher amount than originally written, along with an alteration of the payee.

"The common denominator is that all victims have submitted these checks into the drive-thru mailboxes at local Post Offices (Broadview Heights, North Royalton, etc.)," the police department said.

The agency said it had taken 11 reports in the past week and about 40 since July.

"Suspects are obtaining keys to these boxes through the commission of robberies of postal carriers after which they are stealing mail from the containers," the police department said. "This is not unique to Broadview Heights and is occurring all over."

The agency said that those affected should dispute the matter with their bank immediately and file a police report.

The police department said its best advice is not to deposit personal checks or cash into any freestanding or drive-through post office container, and either take them inside to the post office lobby or use an online or mobile service to pay bills.

In June, 11 people in Northeast Ohio were charged for participating in a conspiracy that stole mail from the U.S. Postal Service, obtained checks within the stolen mail and altered, forged and duplicated the checks for financial gain, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

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The agency said the members of the conspiracy are accused of unlawfully accessing U.S. mail collection boxes using stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained collection box keys, sometimes directly from postal employees.

The attorney's office said that it's alleged that one of the people charged, a postal employee at the time, stole mail in his custody and sold it, along with mail collection box keys, to other members of the conspiracy.

After obtaining and altering checks from the stolen mail, it's alleged the people charged used Instagram to recruit others to use their bank accounts to cash the stolen, altered and forged checks, causing a loss of more than $1.5 million, according to the attorney's office.

Contact Beacon Journal reporter Emily Mills at [email protected] and on Twitter @EmilyMills818.