Rivers Casino employees' paychecks were stolen, altered, cashed
Federal authorities are investigating the theft of paychecks destined for workers at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.
More than a dozen checks were stolen between Dec. 12 and Dec. 23 after being mailed to employees, according to an initial Des Plaines police report. The checks were worth between $300 and $1,600 each, Cmdr. Matt Bowler said.
The names and amounts on the checks were altered, and then the checks were cashed at currency exchanges and other businesses in Chicago, Bowler said. A total for the altered values of the checks wasn't available.
The fraud was discovered by Rivers' payroll department and reported to casino security, who called police.
Because of the nature of the crime, Des Plaines police forwarded the matter to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
All affected Rivers employees will get the pay they're due, a casino spokesman said. He had no other comment.
Spencer Block, a spokesman for the Postal Inspection Service, urged people to protect their mail and identities by:
• Promptly removing mail from mailboxes after delivery, especially if checks or credit cards are expected.
• Notifying senders as soon as possible if checks or other important items don't arrive in the mail.
• Dropping outgoing mail into official U.S. Postal Service collection boxes before the last daily pickup time, or mailing items from inside post offices.
• Monitoring financial accounts and credit profiles for fraud.
Additionally, if your mail is stolen, file a report with the Postal Inspection Service by calling (877) 876-2455, as well as with local police.
"I would urge any victim of mail theft to contact local law enforcement and the Postal Inspection Service as soon as possible so we can better investigate the crime and hold those responsible to justice," Block said.