U.S. Postal Service warning users against sending checks through the mail
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There is a new warning from the U.S. Postal Service: Do not send checks through the mail.
Americans wrote 3.4 billion checks last year, according to the Federal Reserve, and many of them end up in the U.S. Postal Service to pay bills for one thing or another.
Now, the post office is warning its users: Do not put checks in the mail. Why? Because more of them are getting stolen than ever.
"Unfortunately, this is something that can happen," says Caitlin Driscoll of the better business bureau.
The Postal Service reports that complaints of mail theft doubled in 2021, and banks report that check fraud jumped to 680,000 reports last year, up from 300,000 the year before.
So, who is stealing these checks?
It's not entirely clear; it could be workers at postal distribution centers who recognize a check in an envelope or, perhaps more likely, thieves who fish envelopes out of mailboxes.
That has led the post office in some areas to install highly-secured mailboxes with small openings that won't take many envelopes, forcing customers to get out of their cars and go into the post office.
Whoever is doing the theft, data on your bank checks can be used by sophisticated scam artists who can also change the name of the payee and even the amount on the check.
Driscoll says this happens here in the Pittsburgh region.
Delano: Have you heard about this?
Driscoll: Yes, and this isn't anything new either, unfortunately, when it comes to different counterfeit checks, counterfeit check fraud.
The post office says if you must mail a check, avoid the mailbox and bring the envelope directly into the post office.
"If you are choosing to mail a check, it is always recommended that you use a secure mail drop such as inside a post office versus an unsecured public-facing mailbox," Driscoll suggested.
Of course, many companies now prefer that you pay online, but that has its own set of fraud issues with the growth of online payment fraud. One study found 2.5 million online transactions were compromised in 2022. Pay by credit card, not debit, if at all possible.
Credit card method is always the safest method because you have the most legal recourse and the most amount of time should a transaction go awry," Driscoll added.
The bottom line is whether you pay by check, credit card, or online, minimize the risk as best you can.
