Check Washing and Mail Theft: Are You Safe?

If you ever sent a check that was cashed but later learned it was never received by the intended recipient, you were probably a victim of check washing.

Check washing is literally what it sounds like – criminals intercept checks and wash the ink away using chemicals. They then change the payee name and often the dollar amount before depositing the check.

According to the United States Postal Inspection Service, check fraud, particularly mail theft, nearly doubled from 2021 to 2023. Postal inspectors recover more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders every year.

Luckily, there are some ways to protect yourself.

Use online payments or pay by phone

If you use checks to regularly pay bills, consider contacting those service providers to pay by phone or use online payments. When contacting service providers, don’t use information provided in unsolicited emails or texts. Consider that legitimate companies have consistent, verifiable details and contact information through multiple sources while scams often have inconsistent details, poor grammar, or pressure you to act fast.

Use digital banking tools

Learn how to use tools like chip cards and mobile wallet, which are safer than checks or even regular debit cards.
Monitor your accounts often via online or mobile banking so that you can quickly spot anything unusual, allowing for quick action to prevent or stop the fraud (eStatements also can’t be stolen from a mailbox).
Utilize tools in mobile and online banking – such as text alerts when certain types of transactions occur, or the ability to quickly “turn off” a lost debit card. For a tutorial on these alerts, check out this page.

How to protect yourself if mail is the only option

The United States Postal Inspection Service provides the below tips and tricks to protect yourself from mail theft and check washing:

Promptly pick up delivered mail: Try not to leave letters and packages in your mailbox or at your door for any length of time.
Inquire about overdue mail: If you do not receive a check, credit card, or other valuable mail you’re expecting, contact the sender as soon as possible and inquire about it.
Don’t send cash: Be careful about what you send. Don’t risk sending cash in the mail.
Request signature confirmation: When mailing something important, consider requesting Signature Confirmation™ for the intended recipient.

If you’re a victim of mail theft

Incidents of suspected mail theft may be reported by contacting United States Postal Inspection Services at 1-877-876-2455 or online at https://www.uspis.gov/report.

First Security Bank is here to help

If you have any concerns or questions about fraud, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-800-272-0159. Additionally, we’d be happy to provide more education for anyone curious about any of the banking tools listed above. In the meantime, more information can be found on our website here.