Greenville Police have a warning for anyone who lives in an apartment complex. They say crafty crooks are stealing checks and money orders right out of the rent drop-boxes and finding a way to cash them.
But it's the way they're doing it, that has police scratching their heads. Thieves are using sticky mouse traps and getting out the checks and money orders out of the slot.
Alia Urps, Spokesperson for the Greenville Police, says it’s already happened at five apartment complexes in Greenville in just the past two weeks. Three were hit on Villa Road, one on Cleveland Street, and another on Haywood Road.
"You have such a concentrated amount of money in one location because everybody has to pay their rent,” Urps explained. “It's always the first part of the month and if you're a thief, you know that to be a fact."
Urps says stopping the crime isn’t easy.
"Everybody uses the mail slot, so processing a mail slot for fingerprints is pretty difficult, considering the amount of traffic that goes in and out," Urps said.
Residents don't even know something's wrong, until they get their late notice.
Some apartment complexes are taking action. Folks who live at Haywood Pointe tell 7 On Your Side the complex has taken away their after-hours box because of it.
Those residents are now grateful that someone is turning the tables against the thieves - in a way sticking it to them.
Greenville Police say just about the only thing you can do to avoid being a victim is to hand-deliver your rent check to someone in the office, rather than dropping it off in the slot.
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