To the Editor:

On July 2 I mailed six checks at the Palmer Square USPS Post Box. On July 8, I noted that two of my checks had been forged and cashed. I closed the account but did not realize that my new account was still linked to the old account, so the forgers were able to pay off two additional bogus charge card bills. In total they made five assaults on my accounts.    

When I spoke with the Princeton Police detective, he stated that all the USPS Post Boxes in Princeton have been compromised. When I went to my bank on Nassau Street, staff advised me that several customers had come in that week with the same issue, and that all the banks in Princeton had customers that had been affected.

I had read about this issue last year in the Town Topics Police Blotter and had been taking most of my mail physically into a Post Office, but on July 2 I was rushed and did not have the time. 

I called the detective again, advised him of the additional assaults. I also asked if there was a way to notify all Princeton residents of this issue, but he was non-committal.

I have posted this on the Planet Princeton Forum on Facebook, and one of the residents questioned the validity of my post.

It appears from everything that I hear and have experienced that this issue is pervasive.

Princeton has many avenues of communication with its residents, such as the mayor’s newsletter and the reverse 911 system.   

I’m extremely disappointed that this issue and other fraudulent activity have not been communicated to all Princeton residents in an official and timely manner. Although I appreciate distribution of this type of information through the Town Topics Police Blotter, I do not believe it is adequate.

I believe that it is important that when the police know of pervasive fraudulent activity in Princeton, all residents are advised in a timely manner. I feel it is important that Princeton develop a method for timely dissemination to all Princeton residents. 

Ann Marie Russell
Rollingmead Street

Note: An article on this subject is featured on page 1 of this week’s issue.