Like playing an evil game of whack-a-mole, a new scam has reared its head—check washing. This ploy starts when crooks steal a check you have written out of the mail. Then they use chemicals found in common household cleaning products to “wash” off the ink and fill in the payee name with their own name and often change the dollar amounts to empty your bank account.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) reports that “[p]ostal Inspectors recover more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders every year, but you can take steps to protect yourself.”
Here is a simple three-step action guide from the USPS that will help you safeguard your bank account:
- “Deposit mail before last pickup
Deposit your outgoing mail in blue collection boxes before the last pickup or at your local Post Office.
- Retrieve mail frequently
Never leave your mail in your mailbox overnight.
- Hold mail at Post Office
If you’re going on vacation, have your mail held at the Post Office or have it picked up by a friend or neighbor.”
AARP.com offers these additional tips:
“Pay your bills online. ‘As long as you’re not on a public Wi-Fi connection, paying bills online is safer than a check through the mail,’ says Amy Nofziger, AARP’s director of fraud victim support. ‘Your bank account and the payment systems for your bills are encrypted.’
Use a pen with blue or black non-erasable gel ink. Gel ink soaks into paper and may be more difficult to remove than ballpoint pen ink, according to authorities.
Monitor your bank account. Don’t wait for your monthly statement. Go online every few days to review account balances and look at checks drawn against them.”
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