Right in the centre - The cheque is in the mail
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- Published on Thursday, March 6, 2025
By Ken Waddell
Neepawa Banner & Press
The old story goes that, 鈥淭he cheque is in the mail鈥�. That statement is usually true.
I was perplexed a few weeks ago when we started to hear about Post Office boxes being broken into and contents stolen. I couldn鈥檛 figure out what was to be gained by robbing Post Office boxes. Almost nobody sends cash in the mail these days so I doubted that could be the reason.
Then somebody told me that maybe credit card renewal envelopes were being taken and now that activating a credit card is more automated than it used to be, perhaps that was the reason.
Then about three weeks ago, I was checking our Accounts Receivable and came across an account from a long time local customer that wasn鈥檛 paid. That seemed strange, but when I called them, they said, 鈥淥h yes, that was paid鈥�. They checked their records and they had sent us the cheque and it had actually been deposited. The problem is, it had not been deposited by us, so who did deposit the cheque? The customer went to their banking institution and found out the cheque had been deposited to an account but not ours . It had been deposited to an account at a bank where we don鈥檛 have an account.
That was a mystery, but by asking at my banking institution and at the one where the cheque was deposited, this is what we think happened. The cheque was stolen from our mail box at Canada Post. It was deposited by way of a night deposit at the bank, not to the 鈥渢hief鈥檚鈥� account but to another person鈥檚 account where the 鈥渢hief鈥� had gained access. As soon as it was deposited, they could withdraw cash. I presume there would have been a cash withdrawal limit on the account, but there would be nothing stopping the 鈥渢hief鈥� from going back the next day and the next and withdrawing the limit again. If the real account holder didn鈥檛 check their account or go over their statement at the end of the month, they might never know that money went in and out of their account. If the 鈥渢hief鈥� was smart, and we have to assume they are, then they would be careful to never withdraw more than the total value of the cheque or cheques they deposited. That way, the affected account wouldn鈥檛 look like it was out of balance by very much at the end of the month.
Now, here鈥檚 the kicker. I have verified with at least three banking people that cheque fraud is rampant and that there is a 鈥渢heft ring鈥� operating in Western 水果视频. Isn鈥檛 that comforting to know?
I was also told that the RCMP are on it but, I assume it will be difficult to prove for sure. I believe bank machines are protected by surveillance cameras. In contrast, there are many Post Offices that have been broken into but Post Offices apparently don鈥檛 have security cameras.
I find all this very upsetting. It鈥檚 not that we don鈥檛 have enough to worry about with everything else that is going on in the world. I was told by a banker that the RCMP are looking into this and many other problems. I was so frustrated that I muttered, it would be best for the 鈥渢hief or thieves鈥� if the RCMP catch them before I did.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer鈥檚 personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the newspaper staff.
