USPS investigating after $28 check was altered and cashed for $4,200

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A month after a crook stole a check they mailed from their local post office, changed the amount and cashed it, Michael Musetta and his wife finally have their money back. However, the Florida couple still doesn’t have answers on how they were robbed.

A carbon copy of the check shows it was made out to Florida Blue Health Insurance on April 22 for $28.

But a copy of the cashed check that their bank gave them shows a stranger cashed it for $4,200. The United States Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General is investigating how it happened.

Their bank, First Horizon, has now deposited the entire $4,200 back into their account.

“This is all I wanted in the first place,” Musetta said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the USPS Inspector General said it is aware of this incident and it is under review.

“This type of alleged behavior within the Postal Service is not tolerated and the overwhelming majority of Postal Service employees, which serve the public, are honest, hardworking, and trustworthy individuals who would never consider engaging in any type of criminal behavior,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Hopefully they can track this down because I thought it was really strange when they told my wife he was also investigating another check made payable to Florida Blue,” Musetta said. “How they could get ahold of the check, I have no idea, but somebody was.”

A spokesperson for Florida Blue sent this statement:

“While we cannot comment on a specific member’s situation due to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy concerns, or ongoing investigations, we do take allegations of fraud very seriously and take active steps to quickly address any issues we may become aware of that could be of impact to members, providers, or our organization.”

If you suspect any wrongdoing by U.S. Postal Service employees, submit a Hotline Complaint online.