Here's how to protect yourself from check washing scams, according to the Allegheny County DA
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Allegheny County district attorney is warning residents about check washing, a scam that officials say has "exploded" since the pandemic.
Check washing happens when scammers steal checks out of the mail and wash them with household chemicals to remove the ink, the DA's office says. Scammers then change the payee and often the dollar amount before depositing or cashing the checks. Some criminals even sell washed checks and others use copiers or scanners to print fake copies, authorities say.
Citing data from the U.S. Treasury Department, the district attorney's office says check fraud increased 365% since the pandemic. Postal inspectors recover more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders ever year, the DA's office said.
"Our Senior Justice Team was notified by older adults in our community who have either been a victim or known someone who has been a target of check washing," District Attorney Stephen Zappala said in a news release. "The best course of action to discourage cases like these is to educate the community and give people the knowledge and tools to protect themselves."
In September, KDKA-TV talked to a Beaver County man who said he dropped two checks in a curbside mailbox for under $10 and couldn't believe it when they were cashed for upwards of $1,600.
Tips for protecting yourself against check washing
The district attorney's office says a good way to reduce potential fraud is by paying recurring bills online.
"If you can use electronic means to make payments and receive them, do so. That will eliminate the possibility of falling victim to check washing," the district attorney's office said in an alert.
If you are mailing a check, deposit it in blue collection boxes before or close to the last pickup time, or take it to your local post office. Don't leave checks in your own mailbox, and never leave mail in your mailbox overnight, the DA's office says.
When you're writing the check, use pens with non-erasable black gel ink, which authorities say soaks into the paper and may be harder to remove than ballpoint pen ink. And don't leave blank spaces in the payee or amount lines.
Most banks give just 30 days to report fraud, so follow up after a check is mailed to make sure it was actually deposited into the correct account. And check your bank balances regularly, because officials say criminals may use account and routing numbers on stolen checks to electronically withdraw even more money.