LADUE, Mo. – Mail from more than half a dozen homes in Ladue has been stolen, prompting warnings from police.
In the last few weeks, mail thieves have broken into more than six homes near Warson and Conway roads. This is an area with many residential neighborhoods. It is in addition to reports of mailboxes being checked.
Suspicious activity was noticed by one resident a few weeks ago.
“Somebody was walking the dog and stopped by the neighbor’s mailbox, and he was fiddling with it,” said John Marcus, a Ladue resident. “So it was strange to me; I didn’t know what he was doing.”
The crime is not only a violation of privacy, but can lead to serious consequences, such as identity theft and check washing. A strategy intended to change amounts by redirecting money into the hands of thieves. Something that happened to the Gerlochs of Conway this summer.
“They’re really stealth about it,” said Seth Gerloch. “Got a notification from our bank saying that a much higher amount was taken out, so we were like, ‘Okay, what happened’ and went back and looked at it, and that’s when we started asking questions, trying to figure out where did this come from?”
Thieves stole an HVAC check originally made out for $1,000 and changed it to $3,000, which they then stole.
“That’s your private bank account, that’s your money,” Gerloch said. “To see that come out of there, it’s something you don’t expect.”
Their bank resolved it, but for many others, it’s not as easy.
Police warn that when you put your mail in your mailbox, you want to make sure to stay vigilant and notice if anything has gone missing.
They are working with the United States Postal Service to continue investigating.