Checks stolen out of mailboxes in League City

League City police are warning residents to beware of a thief who is stealing checks out of mailboxes, altering them and cashing them.
Someone stole two checks that a man living in the 2700 block of Tallowood Drive had put in his mailbox for outgoing delivery. He didn't discover that the checks had been taken until his bank called and alerted him of an overdraft, so he only knows the theft took place between 8 a.m. Sunday and 12:10 p.m. Wednesday.
League City Police Lt. Bruce Whitten said the two checks were cashed for $1,924.04, a much higher amount than he had originally written them for.
It appears the checks were washed where the data that he had put on there had been bleached or used some method to remove the original data for the higher amount," Whitten said.
The thief also altered the name of the person the checks were made out to. Police are not disclosing that name, but Whitten said it is the same name on two checks stolen from another mailbox, altered and cashed for $1,664 between June 9 and 11 from a man in the 300 block of Clear Creek Avenue.
Whitten said it's doubtful that the name on the cashed checks is the thief's real name, but it may yield leads and police hope there is surveillance video where the checks were cashed.
To avoid such thefts, Whitten encourages residents to mail written checks at secure mailboxes.
Otherwise you're always taking a risk in putting something in a box that anybody can open," he said. If it's at a more secure mailbox, it lessens the opportunity for the thief to come by and take it from you."
Those with information are asked to call 281-338-8210.