CHARLOTTE — Someone apparently stole mail from St. Matthew Church and tried to cash checks, according to a letter sent to parishioners from Monsignor John McSweeny.
It appears that a theft from the mailbox on the church property occurred at the end of January. Parish officials were made aware of the situation by two parishioners reporting that their online bill pay donation checks to St. Matthew were attempted to be cashed by persons unaffiliated with St. Matthew Church, Monsignor McSweeny said.
Both checks were mailed to the physical address, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, and not our post office box, PO Box 49349.
The church changed the mailbox on our campus to one in which mail can only be deposited, but needs a key to be retrieved.
They recommend mail to the parish be sent to the P.O Box: St. Matthew Catholic Church, P.O. Box 49349
Charlotte, NC 28277.
St. Matthew Church name and address is also being used in a fraudulent check scheme, where packages are being mailed to individuals with a check inside, Monsignor McSweeny said.
The parish’s name is not associated with anything relating to the check, it simply appears as a return address on the outside of the envelope, making it appear that the package has been sent by St. Matthew Church.
This is a common scheme, and these priority mail packages have not been sent by St. Matthew Church. The check in the envelope is fraudulent and should not be cashed.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and the United States Postal Service Inspector are aware of the incidents.
— Catholic News Herald