Greg's Corner

No mailbox is safe from these scams

By Greg Collier

Police in several Massachusetts communities are warning residents about sending checks through the mail. Reportedly, checks that are being sent in outgoing mail are being stolen. This has led to an increase in check washing. If you’re not familiar with check washing, it’s when someone steals a written check out of the mail and dips it in a solution of chemicals to remove the ink. The now blank check is rewritten, so the thief can cash it for themselves. The check is usually rewritten for a much higher amount than it was originally written for.

Typically, these checks are stolen out of home mailboxes when someone puts out their outgoing mail for the mail carrier to pick up. However, some check thieves will even try their luck with the blue USPS mailboxes we’re all familiar with, even the ones outside the local post office. These thieves will attach something adhesive to the end of string and fish mail out of the mailbox, hoping to find an envelope with a check in it. If they do find a check, it will then be washed before trying to be cashed or deposited. One Massachusetts police department even says that washed checks are often deposited at ATMs, since the machines can’t tell whether a check has been washed or not.

There are a number of ways to protect yourself from check thieves. One way is to switch to electronic payments for your bills. In some cases, you don’t have to have the payment taken out automatically every month. Another way is to take your mail and drop it off inside the post office itself. This way if you still wish to pay by check you can, and the thieves have much less of a chance to steal it. Lastly, if you write several checks a month, you should do a regular review of your bank accounts. A daily check is ideal, but if you can’t do that, a weekly review might suffice. This will allow you to contact your bank faster if one of your checks is cashed by an unauthorized recipient.