A Hall County woman says a thief intercepted her mailed electric bill check, copied her signature, and altered it to withdraw money from her account.
Sandra Davenport has long paid her Jackson EMC bill by mailing a check. This month, the payment never arrived. She later learned from Truist Bank in Oakwood that someone had attempted to withdraw money from her account — first about $50, then roughly $90 — using a cut‑and‑pasted version of her signature and an altered check number.
Davenport said the forgery was obvious when she saw it, noting that her signature had been copied and the name cut out in a square shape. She recovered the funds but is warning others about the scheme.
Oakwood bank officials said they have recently seen similar cases involving stolen utility‑payment checks sent through the mail. Jackson EMC said law enforcement determined the fraud occurred outside the company’s operations and that the utility is working with the FBI in an active investigation.
Federal and local authorities are investigating a mail‑theft operation targeting customers who pay utility bills by check.
They say everyone should check their bank accounts regularly, report suspicious activity immediately, be cautious with mailed checks, and notify law enforcement or the FBI if mail theft or check fraud is suspected.
(This is an AI-assisted story.)