Peekskill police are advising residents to refrain from putting important mail in the United States Postal Service mailbox right out front of the town’s post office.

Police say people have been stealing checks out of the mailbox in front of the post office at 738 South St. They say the perpetrators use the checks to commit identity theft and financial fraud.

"What they appear to be doing, is getting checks out of envelops, washing the checks and writing in the amount that they want on the check and changing the pay,” said Peekskill City Manager Matthew Alexander.

"Nine out of 10 times, I would never use that [mailbox],” added a Peekskill resident. “If I had to use that, it would make me feel very uncomfortable.”

Police recommend residents walk inside the post office and drop off checks inside the lobby drop box, or choose an entirely different location to mail out checks or financial documents.

The Westchester County district attorney also offered tips for residents, including using online payment, writing checks in a gel-style ink that cannot be erased, or checking bank statements and credit cards daily for unusual activity.

The Federal Trade Commission recommends setting up fraud alerts with credit bureaus for those who believe they may have been a victim.