They trusted the blue mailbox at the post office. Police say two men stole their money instead.

Camarillo police say 66 victims lost cash after thieves washed and changed stolen checks.

When you drop a letter in a post office mailbox, you expect it to be safe. But for dozens of neighbors, that simple act turned into a money nightmare.

WHAT HAPPENED

In May 2026, police in Camarillo caught two men in the act. Deputies arrested Alejandro Jacobo and Juan Antonio Landa. The officers saw them taking mail out of a blue box right outside the post office.

Later, police searched and found more. They say the men did not just steal mail once. They did it many times across the town.

The thieves looked for checks in the mail. They used chemicals to wash the ink off the checks. Then, they wrote in new names and higher amounts.

In total, they took more than $300,000 from local residents. Police just found 22 more victims, bringing the total to 66 people.

What the money/evidence shows

• 66 confirmed victims in the town.
• 22 new victims found during the latest search.
• More than $300,000 in total money losses.
• 1 blue mailbox outside the Camarillo Post Office targeted.
• Chemically washed checks used to steal the funds.

We are told to trust the government mail service. But how secure are those blue metal boxes on our streets?

If thieves can easily fish mail out of a box right outside a post office, what does that say about our safety? We need to ask if the postal service is doing enough to update these old boxes.

Based on the evidence, this defense will face a hard test because police caught the men at the box. Both men face a long list of new charges in court. Local police are working with postal inspectors to make the physical mailboxes safer.

For regular people, this means extra work. You should check your bank statements every week.

If you expect a check in the mail, call to make sure it arrived.