A major mail theft and check fraud scheme is unfolding in the Coachella Valley. Residents say checks dropped into the drive-thru mailbox at the Palm Desert post office on Hovley Lane are being intercepted, altered, and fraudulently cashed.
Fred Roggin opened the latest segment by displaying two checks—one made out to the Franchise Tax Board for $13,886 and another to the IRS for $23,045. Both were rewritten and cashed by individuals named Nasir King and Yorty Cuellar, respectively. These cases are part of a larger trend involving dozens of victims across the Valley, including in La Quinta.
Some residents reported finding a sticky substance at the top of the mailbox slot, raising suspicions that criminals are using glue traps or similar tactics to retrieve envelopes.
Sergeant Ryan Kitchens of the Indio Police Department's Major Crimes Unit joined the show to explain how the scam works. He confirmed that mail theft from community mailboxes, personal mailboxes, and even drive-up postal boxes is one of the most common methods criminals use to acquire checks.
“These mailboxes, even the ones outside post offices, can be broken into fairly easily,” Kitchens said. He emphasized that the safest way to mail a check is to go inside the post office and send it via certified mail, which requires a recipient’s signature and is less vulnerable to interception.
For protection, Kitchens advised residents to use black gel ink when writing checks, as blue ink can be chemically stripped by fraudsters. Even better, typing the check’s details offers stronger resistance to tampering.
If a check is stolen and fraudulently cashed, victims should immediately report the incident to local law enforcement, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov, the Federal Trade Commission, and their bank’s fraud department.
Contributors Stephanie Green and Sue Abramowitz joined the conversation, sharing their own experiences of mail theft and frustration with the U.S. Postal Service's lack of response. Both emphasized that law enforcement—particularly the sheriff’s office—was the only agency to take their complaints seriously.
“I think the post office really needs to have more security,” said Abramowitz. “Maybe they need to screen employees more. I’ve only depended on them, and I’ve never seen something like this.”
Roggin added that over the weekend alone, roughly 25 people reported being affected by similar check theft cases. As staffing cuts reportedly hit postal operations, residents are growing more concerned that the problem could get worse before it gets better.
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By: Fred Roggin
May 5, 2025
