DULUTH, Ga. — A former Georgia state representative and his wife lost $20,000 to check thieves who turned one stolen tax payment into three fraudulent checks, according to police.
Brooks Coleman, a former educator and state lawmaker, and his wife Mary Claire told Channel 2 Gwinnett Bureau Chief Matt Johnson they thought they were being careful when they mailed a tax check to the IRS in June.
Instead, Duluth police say criminals got a hold of the payment from the mail and used chemicals to wash out the original writing.
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“They took that check, whitened it out, washed it out, and then they took this last week and printed three additional checks,” Brooks Coleman said.
Police say the thieves created three new checks totaling $20,000 and cashed them at different banks. While the bank caught the original stolen tax check before it cleared, police say the suspects had already used it to create the fraudulent checks.
Mary Claire Coleman said she specifically avoided electronic payments to protect against online theft.
“I didn’t do it electronically because then you hear other stories about how much is stolen off of the internet,” she said. “So I was trying to protect us from that, but it doesn’t seem like it matters what you do.”
Duluth police say they have investigated at least seven similar check fraud cases in recent weeks, with thieves apparently targeting checks sent through the U.S. Postal Service.
Brooks Coleman said he plans to contact senators and postal officials demanding action, though he’s optimistic his bank will reimburse the loss.
“I love the post office. It’s very convenient. I’ve always used it and been very friendly with the people,” he said. “But I think we need to really go after it now.”
When contacted about the thefts, a spokesperson for the Office of Inspector General says they do not confirm or deny ongoing investigations.
Duluth police are warning residents to avoid mailing checks when possible and consider secure electronic payment methods instead.
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