PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. -- Platte County officials want help catching a crook who is cashing in on someone else's checks.

A box of checks was stolen from a resident's mailbox earlier this month, officials said.

In four days, the culprit forged and cashed at least 24 of the stolen checks with a total of nearly $7,000. The checks were cashed at businesses in Kansas City, Liberty and Gladstone, investigators said.

The scammed resident wonders why stores are accepting the bad checks so easily.

"I felt like if the merchants were alert, they would've caught something," the victim told KMBC's Martin Augustine. The resident asked to remain anonymous.

Fortunately, the victim said he won't be held responsible for the stolen money.

Officials released pictures of the culprit and his vehicle.

Anyone with information in the case can contact the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477. A reward is available for information leading to an arrest.