BOSTON (AP) — A task force of investigators is working with the U.S. Postal Service to apprehend whoever has been stealing mail from collection boxes in the Boston area, authorities said.

Wellesley Detective Mark D’Innocenzo said the culprits are using glue and string to fish envelopes from mailboxes, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

The thieves use chemicals to rewrite checks to themselves, cash them in and use the bank information they acquired to forge more checks, D’Innocenzo said.

D’Innocenzo said that “it’s out of control,” and that there are 15 to 20 open investigations in Wellesley alone.

Maureen Marion, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, said security-enhanced mailboxes have been installed and have deterred mail theft.


“The newer ones have smaller slots, so you can only put letters in,” D’Innocenzo said.

D’Innocenzo recommends the use of gel pens when writing checks because their markings are harder to erase than ballpoint pens.