Check Theft Investigation

(From Tiffin Police Chief David Pauly)

Over the past several weeks, the Tiffin Police Department has received seven reports of checks being stolen after being placed in public mailboxes at various locations throughout our community. In each case, the stolen checks, all written to pay Aqua water bills, were altered and fraudulently changed to much larger amounts. While all seven victims are Tiffin residents, investigators currently believe the thefts themselves occurred outside our jurisdiction. Our Criminal Division is working closely with partner law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible and determine where the thefts originated.

As a precaution, we encourage residents to consider alternative payment methods, such as making payments online or directly through your utility provider, whenever possible. If you must mail a check, consider dropping it off inside your local post office rather than placing it in a public collection mailbox.

If you believe you may have been a victim of check theft or notice any unauthorized activity involving your bank account, please contact the Tiffin Police Department immediately and notify your financial institution. We appreciate the community’s vigilance and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Chief Pauly