Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a reported mail theft and check washing incident that occurred in Union Township, Berks County.
According to a public information release from the Reading Patrol Unit, troopers responded March 11 to a residence on Hay Creek Road in Birdsboro for a report of theft and forgery.
Police said the victims, a 52-year-old woman and a 56-year-old man, both from Birdsboro, reported that their mail had been stolen from their mailbox on Feb. 27.
The stolen mail reportedly included a check payment intended for a credit card in the original amount of $500. Investigators said the check was later altered and deposited by an unknown actor on March 6 for $4,869.57.
State police described the incident as involving “check washing,” a form of fraud in which stolen checks are chemically altered and rewritten for a larger amount.
Troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police Reading station are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to reference incident number PA2026-308008.