West Menlo mailbox theft leaves resident with $18K in fraudulent charges

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Dropoff mailboxes outside of the post office on Avy Avenue in Menlo Park. Photo by Cameron Rebosio.

When Kate Mulligan dropped checks in the roadside mailbox outside the Avy Avenue post office in West Menlo Park, she thought her money was safe. However, $18,400 later, she realized someone had stolen from her.

On the weekend of March 18, Mulligan was sending out bills before she went on vacation. She mailed six checks at the box in front of the West Menlo Park Post Office before leaving, assuming the mailbox was safe because it was directly outside the post office.

When Mulligan checked her account, one of the checks she mailed had been deposited, but under a different name than who she made it out to, and the amount had been altered to $18,000. Two other checks cleared without Mulligan’s handwriting or the correct recipient, totaling $18,400.

“I was mad,” Mulligan said. “I was like, ‘How did this happen?’ You know, this isn’t right.”

Mulligan said she took the issue to the Menlo Park postmaster and reported it to the United States Postal Inspection Service.

“There’s probably all these unsuspecting seniors who are out there, dropping their mail in that box, not knowing that it’s not safe or secure,” Mulligan said.

Menlo Park Postmaster James Nelson said he had no comment on the story but disputed the idea that it wasn’t safe to use the mailbox.

Mulligan’s Nextdoor post received responses from six other residents who had experienced a similar issue on the same weekend. There are at least three names listed as recipients on the fraudulent checks stolen that weekend, they claimed.

“If I could go and duct tape that thing and put a sign on it (warning people), I would,” Mulligan said.

The U.S. Postal Investigation Service is currently investigating the complaints.