[ad_1]
(WSVN) – Rain, sleet, and snow can’t stop mail, but scammers certainly can. South Florida business is hit with mail scammers over and over again, but should law enforcement investigate? That’s why a frustrated Southern Floridian called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
For some people, the light never turns on. For Diego, they never leave.
Diego Fernandez, Owner, Powerhouse Lighting: “People want to have their lighting.
Diego owns Powerhouse Lighting, where he makes homes and businesses shine, inside and out.
Diego Fernandez: “Everyone who comes in only sees a warehouse from the outside, but when they come in here I see their faces, it’s like, ‘Wait a minute, where am I? “”
This is the bright side of his building in Allapattah.
Then there is the dark side.
Diego Fernandez: “I have a big problem with mail theft.
Thanks to his surveillance cameras, he has months of video capturing mail crooks on camera.
Diego Fernandez: “I saw them with machetes trying to open the mailbox.”
Look at this couple. Not the brightest light bulbs. Neither wears a mask while she plays lookout, and her sidekick uses a tool to steal the locked mailbox.
Diego Fernandez: “The detective told me they called it ‘phishing’. They even have a term for it.
Ride a scooter, rent a truck to rip it off, walk around without worrying about the world.
After the thefts, the criminals commit the next crime.
Diego Fernandez: “From credit card fraud to bank fraud, even unemployment fraud. I mean, you name it.
They steal the checks sent to Diego and change his name to their name.
Diego Fernandez: “They were able to cash the check, a check for $ 8,000.”
They also snatch the checks Diego sends to suppliers, print new ones, and cash them.
Diego Fernandez: “It caused all kinds of problems. “
Once, a savvy bank teller spotted a fake check and the police arrested the scammer, but nothing happened.
Diego Fernandez: “Basically they get a slap on the wrist, and I was really upset about that.”
Diego says he’s not the only one. Other businesses near him are also affected. Look at this guy who got a letter from a mailbox across the street and then comes over to see what Diego has to offer.
Diego Fernandez: “It’s like the postman, but instead of picking up, he picks up.
Diego asked the police to watch the warehouses. They say they can’t.
Diego Fernandez: “I called the postal inspector at least three times. I left messages; I get emails back, “Someone is going to call you back. »Not a single call to date.
Diego disappointed stamp.
Diego Fernandez: “I am frustrated, I am more than frustrated.”
Well, Howard, stealing mail is a crime, but should law enforcement investigate?
Howard Finkelstein: “Law enforcement can choose how to allocate its resources. Murder, rape, and other crimes happen before someone enters your mailbox, but there’s a Postal Inspector, and since mail theft is a federal and state crime, it’s theirs. work to prosecute the crooks. However, again, they are overwhelmed with mail theft, so they also have to choose. “
We contacted the Post. They then met Diego. He gave them his videos and he says they told him it was a gang that was picking on a lot of business owners in his area.
A representative for postal fraud in the United States told us, “We cannot comment on this as this is an active and ongoing investigation. “
Diego Fernandez: “So happy to have called Help Me Howard.”
Happy because after the postal service began to investigate, the mail thefts stopped.
Diego Fernandez: “It was a lot of paperwork, but now I got attention, I got calls, and it made a difference. In fact, he’s even arrested. I think thieves know this, these criminals, because in the last few weeks I haven’t had any problems. “
Glad the thefts stopped, Diego. Now, if you have the same problem and crooks keep breaking into a locked mailbox, you might want to try collecting your mail from the post office or private mailbox company.
Have a problem that you want to return to the sender? Don’t know who to send it to? Send it to us as special delivery and let us fix it.
CONTACT ME HELP ME HOWARD:
E-mail: [email protected]
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at [email protected]
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
Copyright 2021 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link