Police: Mailbox Thefts Persist in Bloomfield Township; Car Scam Averted

Bloomfield Township

The Bloomfield Township Police Department warned residents not to use their street-side mailboxes for sensitive outgoing mail, included bill payments, after a number of mail-theft reports last week.

Residents on North Darlington, Wayfind and Forestway streets all reported mail thefts, and initial reports included a description of green mini-van with a tan stripe parked next to mailboxes that had the 'outgoing mail' flag raised on Jan. 11, police said. Multiple victims said they found their stolen mail, in some cases with letters opened, in other parts of the neighborhood.

The opened envelopes were for household bills and the checks for payment were removed. Investigators said the stolen checks will generally be altered and then used to attempt large withdrawals of cash from victim's accounts.

The department issued a similar warning to residents in June after a rash of fraud reports, including one were a stolen check was used to withdraw $28,000 from a resident's bank account.

Police encourage residents to drop off their bills at secured mailboxes or post offices.

Larceny of phone

Officers tried to retrieve the stolen cell phone of a woman who reportedly left it behind at the Einstein Bagel on Monday. The woman realized the phone was missing and used a phone locator app to track it's location. She called police after discovering the phone was in the area of Telegraph Road and Grand River Avenue in Detroit.

Officers went to the location and learned two men described in their 20s tried to sell the phone at multiple Metro PCS stores, reports said. The officers lost track of the phone and suspect it was disabled. The investigation is ongoing.

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Of Interest: Bloomfield Township Police Arrest Keego Men in Separate Retail Fraud Cases

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Potential Phone Scam Averted

Employees at the Mercedez Benz dealership called police on Monday to report a suspicious situation involving a potential buyer. A staff member took a call from a man who indicated he wanted to buy his girlfriend a car, but that it needed to be driven to her home for her to see it. He offered to pay cash if she liked it, reports said.

However, a salesperson called the girlfriend, who said that the person that called the dealership was not her boyfriend. Investigators traced the phone number from the initial call to a phone line in Jamaica, where several phone scams are known to originate, reports said.

Anyone with information on any of the incidents listed here should call the department at 248-433-7752.

Bloomfield Hills

Officials with the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety said there were no major police or fire-related incidents during the past week.

For questions about this blotter, email Art.Aisner@Patch.com.