KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Anna Laurao Auletta was shocked when she received a notice saying she would be evicted in three days if she didn’t pay her March rent.

Auletta knew she had slipped a money order through the slot in the rent drop box at her apartment-complex office about 9 p.m. on the last day to pay without incurring a late charge.

But the next day, a manager said he did not believe her. By the time police arrived to sort out what had happened, Auletta was crying.

“I’m not a liar,” the 54-year-old mother of three and grandmother of nine said. “I’m not a thief.”

Auletta was right, police say. She is among dozens of victims of a new twist in low-tech crime: drop-box thieves.

The scheme works like this: Thieves smear glue or another sticky substance on a coat hanger or similar object. Then they reach through the slot into the drop box, which can be a couple of feet deep, and fish out rent checks and money orders.

They use acetone to wash the ink away, write in a new name and cash the money orders. Checks are less likely to be tampered with because they are harder to alter and easier to trace.

Even for those renters who have done nothing wrong, straightening out the situation is a hassle.

Each tenant at Polo Run Apartments in Kissimmee, Fla., for instance, was asked to provide a money order receipt, a stop payment or claim report and a police report. A note advised to submit the documents within 24 hours or the complex’s attorneys would begin eviction proceedings.

For at least the time being, many affected apartments, at least in this central Florida area, are not accepting drop-box payments. Residents can pay in person or, at some complexes, online.

“Right now, we’re just on hold,” said Akira Gutierrez, a leasing agent.

Tips

• Avoid using a rent drop box.

• Pay in person and get a receipt.

• Pay online if your complex allows it.

• Use a gel pen to make out your money order. The ink can’t be washed away like ballpoint ink.