The phrase “the check’s in the mail” may still be common, but some Long Islanders are questioning whether it is safe to send checks through the mail at all.

Carolyn Borella, owner of Borella Wholesale Nursery in Nesconset, says she learned that lesson the hard way after checks she mailed to a supplier were allegedly stolen and fraudulently cashed.

Borella said she dropped the checks into an outdoor mailbox at the Nesconset Post Office, expecting them to reach their destination. Instead, she says the letters were intercepted, and the checks were altered and cashed by someone else for approximately $16,000.

What makes the situation even more frustrating, Borella said, is that she used a special security pen designed to prevent tampering. Despite that precaution, thieves were still able to change the name on the checks.

“I’m fed up,” Borella said. “Do you hand it to a person inside now? Do you even do that? Who knows. You can’t leave it in your own mailbox because you don’t know who’s going to pass by and take that. You can’t leave it in front of the post office because someone steals it at night.”

The incident is part of what officials say is a growing problem. News 12 has previously reported on warnings from local officials about the risks associated with outdoor mailboxes. Surveillance video has also captured individuals “fishing” for mail, using tools to retrieve letters and checks from collection boxes.

Statistics from the U.S. Postal Service highlight the scope of the issue. According to the most recently available figures, the Postal Service received roughly 20,000 complaints of mail theft in the New York area each year between 2023 and 2025.

Borella is not alone.

Mike LoMonico, of Stony Brook, says he also became a victim after placing checks in the mailbox outside his home. One of those checks was stolen and later cashed for nearly $5,000.

“What we’ve learned since is we don’t put checks in the mail anymore out here or anywhere, even at the post office, because we’ve heard so many stories,” LoMonico said.

News 12 reached out to the US Postal Inspection Service for a comment, but did not hear back.