How to Minimize the Risk of Check Washing and Mail Check Fraud

Recently, there has been an uptick in fraudsters intercepting paper checks sent through the mail. They alter checks by “washing” them with chemicals to change the amount or payee. Follow these safety tips to help prevent fraud.

How to Protect Your Mail

1. Retrieve your mail promptly upon delivery. Avoid leaving it in your mailbox overnight.
2. If you’re out of town, ask the post office to hold your mail.
3. Sign up for Informed Delivery at USPS.com for daily email updates on incoming mail.
4. Contact the sender if expected mail fails to arrive.
5. Consider using security tinted envelopes to conceal the contents of your outgoing mail.
6. Use letter slots inside the post office to send mail instead of free-standing USPS receptacle boxes.

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How to Protect Your Checks

• Use a permanent black gel pen to make the information harder to erase.
• Complete the payee and dollar amount fields entirely or draw a line to the end.
• Don’t write personal details, such as your Social Security number, credit card information, driver’s license number or phone number on checks.
• Keep an eye on your account activity to ensure payees and amounts align with what you wrote.
• Follow up with payees to make sure they received your check.
• Consider using e-check, ACH automatic payments and other electronic and/or mobile payments.

 

As an alternative, use Bill Pay within Tri Counties Bank Mobile or Online Banking to send payments securely.

If you’re a business account holder, Positive Pay provides powerful tools to help you detect and reduce your risk of check and ACH fraud.