DENVER -- Thieves who stole personal mail including a debit card and checks from a mailbox deposited the stolen checks into the victim's bank account, and then tried to withdraw the money using the stolen debit card, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office said the mail was stolen from a home on South Platte Canyon Road in the town of Columbine Valley. The stolen mail included checks from locations in Castle Rock and Arapahoe County and a debit card, Arapahoe County authorities said.

The stolen checks were deposited into a Wells Fargo account using the stolen debit card. Authorities said the thieves then tried to withdraw the money using the same debit card.

A surveillance camera at a bank shows the men believed to be responsible for the thefts on camera. Anyone with information on the identity of the men is asked to call the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office at 303-795-4711.

Authorities said mail theft has become an increased concern because of the high risk for identity theft.

The Weld County Sheriff's Office said it has noticed an increase in mail theft, saying the thieves typically steal personal mail with checks to pay for monthly utility bills directly from residents' mailboxes.

The sheriff's office said the thieves would then either cash the checks or use the account numbers to create forgeries to pay for various items.

Authorities said the victims would assume the checks had been taken by postal workers and delivered to the appropriate destination, so they would not realize a theft had occurred until their utility bills reflected the missing payments.

The sheriff's office said in some cases victims would not realize a theft had occurred until several thousand dollars had been taken.

Residents are reminded to mail letters at postal offices or give mail directly to a letter carrier, and to never leave personal mail in mailboxes overnight.

People should not send cash in the mail, and it is recommended that residents ask their banks for secure checks that can't be altered.

Residents should also notify the post office when they will be out of town so they can hold the mail until they return.

The United States Postal Inspection Service said mail thieves want checks, credit card applications and bank account statements.

For more information, visit the postal inspection Web site, or visit www.weldsheriff.com to sign up E-Alerts regarding recent crime trends and events in Weld County.