It should come as easily as fastening your seat belt on a plane, so buckle up for this one. Despite a 25% decline in check use, reports of check fraud have soared. In fact, they’ve doubled since 2021. Criminals are becoming more sophisticated and finding new ways to steal your financial information to gain access to and fly off with your money. Peoples Bank is committed to helping our customers use checks safely.
Don’t give criminals the runway: Understanding their tactics can be your first line of defense.
Criminals are known to raid mailboxes and take off with checks so they can alter them and steal your money. One way to prevent this is to avoid leaving your mail in your mailbox overnight or for long periods. If you’re heading out of town, you can pause your mail delivery for peace of mind. If you’re sending a check in the mail, don’t drop it in your mailbox. Instead, mail it from a USPS location.
If criminals get hold of your check, they could use what’s known as check washing. Chemicals are used to “wash” checks, erasing and rewriting details to siphon funds into their own accounts. Lastly, if a criminal gets hold of your account and routing numbers, they can steal your money by creating counterfeit checks with modern printers and software.
Remember, every time you write a check, you expose your personal information, such as your name, contact information, and bank account number. Make sure your payments land safely by using digital options whenever possible. But if you have to write a check, keep these tips in mind to practice check safety:
1. Use Permanent Gel Pens
Just as you wear a seatbelt when you fly, use permanent ink when you write a check to protect yourself.
2. Avoid Blank Spaces
Make sure you fill out every blank space on a check so criminals can’t fill them in instead.
3. Withhold Personal Information
The person in the middle seat doesn’t need to know your whole life story, just like you don’t need to add personal info to your checks for anyone to see.
4. Review Accounts
Monitor your account activity online or in the Peoples Bank mobile app. Regular reviews ensure you notice anything out of the ordinary quickly.
5. Check Your Checks
Regularly review your paid checks online and in our app. Ensure the endorsement is correct and reflects the intended payee and amount to guard against fraud.
6. Use Digital Payment Options
Consider switching to the Peoples Bank payment app or online bill pay for fast and secure payments.
7. Follow Up
Just as you’d confirm your flight details, make sure to follow up with payees to confirm they’ve received and deposited your check.
For more tips, resources, and videos on how to spot check scams, visit PracticeSafeChecks.com.