elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

If you have not heard of this, pay close attention. Until a month ago, I, too, never head of "washed check", that is, until my bank called me, to ask if I wrote a check for $4,200, and gave the name ""I"" wrote the check to. No, I told them, but yet, $4,200 was taken from my checking account.

The bank told me to come to a branch quickly. While there, they (a) closed my checking account, (b) opened a new checking account, (c) closed my two credit cards, (d) generate two new credit cards. I was told that I could expect a full refund of the $4,200 since it was total fraud. However, while the wonderful lady at my bank was doing all this, she was informed that their fraud/security depart had already returned $4,200 into my new checking account.

How did this happen? I've learned that banks everywhere is experiencing this. "Somehow" when I mailed a check or $110 to a local ankle/knee doctor, my check never arrived. """"Somehow"""" my envelope, with USPS stamp on it found it's way into the hands of fraud people, and they 'changed' or "washed" things from my check. My signature was not changed, just 'who' the check was payble to, and 'the amount'.

Bottom line? Never EVER mail a personal check to anyone, anywhere. Any checks I have in the house have passed through my paper shredder. That's the bottom line folks.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I use a pen that resist washing, but in medium point:
Unibal 207 gel pen
"uni-Super Ink forms a cohesive bond with paper for fraud-resistant documentation"

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Seems that the USPS may not be doing background checks in their dash to fill open positions.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I have most of my checks sent by the bank itself. It's free for me and saves me postage. Sometimes I have to write a check, but rarely.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

Do you have one of the blue metal boxes in your neighborhood, the kind about 4' tall, and the 'pull open' space for letters, even small packages? Well, a neighborhood a block away does not have a car, and must depend on USPS. He has told me that several times a month, he finds that ... after the USPS person used his/her key to open the square access below, the person "rotate the key" in order to remove the key. That means the tongue of the lock is extended WHILE THE DOOR IS STILL OPEN. So, when they finish, the door is "almost" closed, and the box is then open to anyone who wants to open that access door and take whatever they want. And, now I know how my $110 check was stolen (from USPS) and then washed.

BebuLamar

I only write a couple of checks a year to pay my property taxes to the county and the school district. They are in rather large amount and I don't reall have a good way to send it except USPS or I have to go there.

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

Washing a check is similar to washing currency for the purpose of counterfeiting. With a check they are only removing certain information, with currency they are changing the denomination of the bill using the legal currency paper.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Same here.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

BebuLamr, when our Personal Property Tax was due, I went to our bank and got a Certified Check. Although I didn't have to, for I could have mailed -that- check to them, but I opted to carry the Certified Check to our city hall. Besides, I needed the personal property tax to be stamped "paid" for license renewal. They offered to mail it to our home, I said "no, for that would require services of USPS", which I no longer trust.

Since I teach two college courses, I purchase an "educator's liability insurance" policy, each year. It is only $50. BUT, when I received a bill last week, I went to their website and I clicked on "contact us", and informed them I suppose I will never be able to purchase a policy from them anymore, for I will NOT pay by check. They replied with a phone number, and told me I can use a credit card over the phone. Major company, so I had no worries.

There WILL be a way to survive without writing personal checks. This is definitely a required trend that all companies must adjust to.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

I haven’t written a check in years. Everything is on autopay. If I need to send someone money I do it electronically. Also haven’t been inside a bank in years. All mobile deposits.

I buy everything with one credit card, where I get miles which has resulted in free flights whenever we go to Europe once a year.

A couple of times a year when I need some cash I use a debit card in Safeway and get it at checkout.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Possibly, but I’m guessing it might more likely be theft from mailboxes.

Btw, I NEVER write personal checks anymore after having my acct number taken from one and used to initiate a large ACH transfer. After changing checking accounts, I pay everything with a credit card (which I pay the balance on each month and get 2% cash back) ACH transfer, or bank draft. If someone works for me such as a gutter cleaning service, I pay cash.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

That would seem to be the simplest form of acquisition - they drive by looking for a flag up.

Klickitatdave Loc: Seattle Washington

In this day and age there is really no reason to write checks. Like others here I almost never write checks. Instead, , I bank strictly online. When I shop I always use my bank issued credit card which I pay off each month. This provides extra fraud protection and a readily available record of all of my transactions. The one problem that I have encountered was the result of an over zealous bank fraud department which froze my account when I attempted to pay an individual money through a service offered on the banks own web site. In that case I literally had to go to one of the banks branches and prove my identity. Still, I can live with that aggravation because it reaffirmed my faith that the bank is taking extraordinary steps to protect my account. The moral of this is that it has become too easy for scammers to steal your identity and money so writing checks is no longer a secure method of payment.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

So, what about companies that have no on-line payment method set up????
Or companies that charge a convenience fee for using cards? That could be over $24/year, simply for the privilege (convenience) of paying on-line. Add up a few of those....

BebuLamar

Well when I pay my property tax I could pay by credit card but they charge me the fee for that. So I have to pay with check