More than 150 taxpayers have had their property tax checks stolen and then used in check washing schemes, and the network appears to be national. And the scheme seems to track to the Oakland mail processing center, even though this affects taxpayers in Napa County as maybe a redirection or targeted for being wealthier, guaranteeing the washed and rewritten checks would clear. I think the last check I wrote was to a plumber for a new pressure regulator quite a while ago (now that the new common design was soldered in I can mechanically replace it going forward). And I don’t put something sensitive like that into the mailbox and raise the flag, but drop it off at the post office at the internal drop. If in California, I’d probably take it to the plumber’s office given this story.