Theft and Mail Fraud of Rent Payments

Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 26 posts · 2 votes

Hello there!

This week it was confirmed that mail had been stolen earlier this month which included rental payments. At least 7 payments are missing and 2 payments have been confirmed cashed by somebody who was not authorized to cash them. Mail fraud. I’m curious to know what recourse there is to chase this person down and/or get the money back since it was fraudulently cashed.

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes

@Ben Rishwain if the money didn't make it into your hands, it hasn't been paid. Unless it was stolen out of a secured mailbox on your property, I don't see how it's your problem any more than a check that was lost enroute or that blew out of a Tenant's hand and fell into a fire (yes, I've heard this one).

@Billy Smith if your time is worth $20 an hour and you burn a gallon gas, it's costing you $25 to collect eight rent payments. That's approximately $4 per rent payment. Online payments can be free. Maybe this is your private time to listen to podcasts and so it carries more value but it's not going to scale very well.

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Karl B.
Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
7y
I would contact both the police and the postal inspector. Chances are wherever the payments were cashed there's video surveillance.
Here's a good link with postal inspector contact information: https://www.lifelock.org/mail-theft/
Police are sometimes unhelpful on the issue of theft but from what I hear the postal inspector takes mail theft very seriously.
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Colleen F.Pro Member
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
7y
Contact the banks where the checks were cashed from. You will need a police report and I think it needs to be by the persons writing the checks so the tenants. The banks will work on getting video and some will reverse the check if it was cashed against another account.
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Lisa A.
Sawyer, MI · Member since 2013 · 19 posts · 4 votes
7y
The check maker(s) should file a dispute at their bank.
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Ben Rishwain
OP
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 26 posts · 2 votes
7y
@Karl B. This is great, thank you!
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Ben Rishwain
OP
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 26 posts · 2 votes
7y
@Colleen F. Thank you! I have tried the bank, but they couldn’t assist. I’ll try again.
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Ben Rishwain
OP
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 26 posts · 2 votes
7y
@Lisa A. Thank you. It was a money order through USPS and they’ve made the complaint. I think I need to go through the postal inspector to get their attention.
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Dennis M.
Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes
7y
another reason why I collect cash . Most on here would laugh at that and say it’s foolish and archaic but I never have cash get lost or stolen from somewhere ..I never have cash bounce or get false promises the money is in the mail .
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Billy Smith
Shawnee Mission, KS · Member since 2016 · 719 posts · 313 votes
7y
I collect rent in person with 8 houses I get it done in around 45 min. yes they are close together .
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
7y
@Ben Rishwain if the money didn't make it into your hands, it hasn't been paid. Unless it was stolen out of a secured mailbox on your property, I don't see how it's your problem any more than a check that was lost enroute or that blew out of a Tenant's hand and fell into a fire (yes, I've heard this one).
@Billy Smith if your time is worth $20 an hour and you burn a gallon gas, it's costing you $25 to collect eight rent payments. That's approximately $4 per rent payment. Online payments can be free. Maybe this is your private time to listen to podcasts and so it carries more value but it's not going to scale very well.
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Anthony Wick
Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
7y
@Ben Rishwain
18 USC 1708 Mail Theft
18 USC 1344 Bank Fraud
https://www.uspis.gov
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Colleen F.Pro Member
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
7y
So if it is a money order that is different but when a fraud check was cashed against my sons account we filed a complaint with the bank and they reviewed the video of the person who cashed it. It is probably different with a money order. The people the check was stolen from had filed a police report as well.
.
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Anthony Solis
Rental Property Investor · Wilmington, DE · Member since 2018 · 36 posts · 23 votes
7y
Hey @Ben Rishwain , the easiest route will be the tenant reaching out to their bank(s) to dispute this. Unfortunatly it's very rare that anything actually happens to the fraudster besides losing their bank account. Highly suggest electronic payments, less headaches!
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Kyle Godbout
Investor · Omaha, NE · Member since 2015 · 366 posts · 184 votes
7y
online payments = amazing
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Billy Smith
Shawnee Mission, KS · Member since 2016 · 719 posts · 313 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

@Ben Rishwain if the money didn't make it into your hands, it hasn't been paid. Unless it was stolen out of a secured mailbox on your property, I don't see how it's your problem any more than a check that was lost enroute or that blew out of a Tenant's hand and fell into a fire (yes, I've heard this one).
@Billy Smith if your time is worth $20 an hour and you burn a gallon gas, it's costing you $25 to collect eight rent payments. That's approximately $4 per rent payment. Online payments can be free. Maybe this is your private time to listen to podcasts and so it carries more value but it's not going to scale very well.
Correct If I do have 20 or 30 SFH I will then have to change ,20 an hour to collect 8k seems ok to me.
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Ben Rishwain
OP
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 26 posts · 2 votes
7y
@Nathan G. Thank you. I tend to believe it was stolen out of my mailbox. I have proof of tenants purchasing money orders, but I never received.
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Ben Rishwain
OP
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 26 posts · 2 votes
7y
@Anthony Wick thank you. I will look into this right away.
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