CORTLAND, NE – The Gage County Sheriff’s Office is sounding the alarm following reports of sophisticated mail theft and check fraud targeting local residents. Two residents in the Cortland area recently fell victim to a scheme known as “check washing,” prompting a multi-agency investigation.
According to sheriff’s deputies, both victims had placed envelopes containing checks into the mail to pay legitimate bills. However, at some point during transit, the envelopes were intercepted by unknown suspects. The thieves then used chemicals to “wash” the ink from the checks—erasing the original payee and the dollar amount—before rewriting them for much larger sums and cashing them at out-of-state banks.
A Growing Regional Trend
The Gage County Sheriff’s Office…..