13 Investigates: Houston No. 1 in stolen checks resold on dark web, research shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- When some of the biggest names in the oil and gas industry were late on payments to Hobre USA, the company's managing director Dale Langham couldn't understand why checks from his loyal customers went missing.

Langham, whose company builds machines that analyze liquids and gasses for the oil and gas industry, said when he called companies asking them why six-figure payments were late, he learned the checks were sent via old school "snail mail," but were stolen from their mailbox in Houston.

"We started trying to figure out how are they getting the checks? Then one night, one weekend, they came with some sort of tool and just ripped our (mailbox) lock completely out. That's the way it really started," Langham said. "We went to the post office because we couldn't get our mail out and told them about it. They had no concern."

Langham said that's when his company installed a camera specifically to watch their mailbox. But, he said that didn't stop the thieves, who he believes had a master key to the mailbox because they were able to open the entire cluster of mailboxes.

"Where did you get the master key," Langham said. "Did you steal it? Did someone give it to you and then turn around and say, 'I lost my key, that key fits all of the mailboxes.'"

13 Investigates found 305 mail carriers were robbed during the first half of this fiscal year, according to USPS. During those six months, 25,000 mail thefts from USPS' blue collection bins were reported.

Our investigation also found Houston is a hot spot for criminals stealing mail and selling stolen checks on the dark web or online messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.

David Maimon, a Georgia State University professor and criminologist that specializes in fraud, has been tracking stolen checks for sale on the dark web for the last two years.

In just September, his team found 448 checks from Houston for sale on underground markets, which is more than any other major city.

Maimon said 314 stolen checks from Chicago were for sale online, 172 checks from Philadelphia, 149 checks from New York and 124 checks from Miami were for sale online in September.

"We document where the checks are coming from. We document the states. We document the cities. Houston is the No. 1 city we are seeing," Maimon said. "At this point I'm not sure I'm stunned anymore. I'm just worried that all this information is out there and that not enough is being done in order to at least slow it down a bit."

Maimon said there are a few different ways criminals will use stolen checks. He said most banks won't cash six-figure checks. Instead, they will let the person cash a small percentage of it until the rest of it clears.

Some criminals will cash a percentage of the check, but others will wash the check, meaning they remove all of the ink and rewrite it for a smaller amount before trying to cash it, Maimon said. He said some criminals also use the check to steal bank account information and combine it with other personal information for the individual to start opening accounts under their name.

The checks are posted on the dark web or online messaging groups for sale with everything showing except the routing and account number, Maimon said.

"What we see is essentially the victims' names. We see the balance on the account. We see the date. They want to make sure that you as the client understand that the check is fresh, so they keep the date exposed all the time," Maimon said.

He said checks can sell for anywhere between $125 and $2,000 or even more, depending on the location and amount on the check.

"I think USPS needs to be doing more. I think law enforcement needs to be doing more. The government needs to acknowledge this as an issue and do something about this," Maimon said.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is in charge of investigating mail-related crimes. We asked U.S. Postal Inspection Service spokesperson Silvia Torres how many of her colleagues are dedicated to investigating mail theft in the Houston area, but she wouldn't say.

Torres did say they receive mail theft complaints daily.

"As postal inspectors, mail theft is one of our highest priorities and we try to reach every single customer who does file a complaint. It may take us a little longer, but we will get to you," Torres said.

Langham said he's it's been months and he's still waiting for the postal service to respond to his complaints.

In the meantime, his colleague Carvel Jasmin said one of the individuals who stole a check from them opened a DBA, or "doing business as," bank account pretending to be their company.

Jasmin, director of sales at Hobre USA, said the thieves deposited a $70,000 stolen check into that fraudulent bank account.

He said they are lucky because the thieves listed Hobre USA's real mailing address on their banking information, so when Jasmin and his team checked their mail, they discovered the fake account before the thieves could wipe it clean.

Jasmin said he's frustrated the postal service isn't doing more to investigate, especially considering they have several clear surveillance videos that appear to show people stealing their mail.

"It was more disgust and disdain because we've been trying to get something done for a while," Jasmin said. "We went from just grabbing a check, washing it, getting $2,000, $3,000 bucks to now taking a check for the full amount and opening up an account in our company's name essentially saying you're doing business as our company. That is taking things to a whole new level."

The postal service says it is taking action in these types of cases. Since May, USPS has arrested more than 600 people for robbing mail carriers and stealing mail. It is also gradually moving away from master keys and using new digital keys on mail boxes.

Torres said the content of mail being stolen hasn't changed, but what has changed is how thieves are selling the stolen items. For example, she said, in the past mail theft was a local issue where someone would steal a check from a mailbox and then go down the street to cash it. Now, she said, the internet means people can steal checks and then sell them online.

"Every instance of mail theft can be different," she said. "It can still be the one single person doing it for themselves. What we have seen is organized rings where there are individuals whose sole job is to go out and find these checks, whether it's through the mail or through other avenues, but when they do find these checks, they then resell them."

But Torres said it is still safe for people to mail checks using the postal service. However, she recommends individuals mailing money go into the lobby of their local post office and drop off their mail directly with the post office in order to help prevent checks from being stolen.

She also recommends people who know they will receive money in the mail to check their mail frequently, and don't leave any mail in their boxes overnight when thieves are more likely to act.

"The postal service delivers billions of pieces of mail per year, and it's millions of addresses every day, and the vast majority of those mailings arrive at their destination," Torres said. "It is still one of the safest means to transport those messages, the money, the merchandise."

But at Hobre USA, Langham is frustrated and said he no longer trusts USPS. As a result of the six-figure check thefts, he now asks customers to send money via FedEx or through wire transfers.

"You don't want to have to do business that way," he said.

For updates on this story, follow Kevin Ozebek on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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