How to Protect Yourself from Check Washing Fraud
Once considered an old-school scam, check washing fraud has surged back with alarming force. In 2023 alone, U.S. financial institutions filed over 665,000 Suspicious Activity Reports related to check fraud—a staggering 134% increase compared to 2020. Between February and August of that year, Americans lost more than $688 million to mail theft-related check fraud. And the trend hasn’t slowed: by 2025, 63% of companies reported check fraud incidents, and 80% of financial firms now list it as a top concern.
Why the resurgence? Despite the rise of digital payments, checks remain widely used—especially for high-value transactions. In fact, 91% of organizations still rely on checks, up from 75% the previous year. Criminals are exploiting this continued dependence, combining old-fashioned mail theft with new digital tools like AI to forge identities and alter check images.
Check washing is one of the simplest—and most damaging—forms of check fraud. It involves stealing a check, erasing the ink with chemicals, and rewriting it to a new recipient for a higher amount. The altered check is then cashed or deposited, often before the victim even realizes it’s missing.
Here’s how to protect yourself from this fast-growing threat:
🛡️ 1. Use Fraud-Resistant Ink
Write checks with black gel pens or pigment-based ink. These inks soak into the paper and are much harder to remove than standard ballpoint ink.
📮 2. Avoid Leaving Checks in Your Mailbox
Never leave outgoing checks in your curbside mailbox. Instead:
- Drop them in secure USPS collection boxes
- Use the mail slot inside your local post office
- Consider hand-delivering checks when possible
📬 3. Retrieve Incoming Mail Promptly
Check your mailbox daily. If you’re traveling, have your mail held at the post office or ask a trusted neighbor to collect it.
🔍 4. Monitor Your Payments
Track when checks are cashed. If a check goes missing or is cashed for the wrong amount, contact your bank immediately to request a stop payment and report the fraud.
💻 5. Consider Digital Alternatives
Whenever possible, use secure electronic payment methods like Zelle, Venmo, or direct bank transfers. These reduce the risk of physical theft and tampering.
🚨 6. Report Suspicious Activity
If you suspect check washing:
- Contact your bank and request copies of the altered check
- File a report with your local police
- Notify the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov
🧠 Final Thought
Check washing may be old-school, but it’s thriving in today’s environment. Protecting yourself means staying alert, choosing secure payment methods, and acting fast if something seems off.
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
This happened to my dad. Suddenly his checking account was overdrawn $8,000. He was meticulous with balancing his checkbook. We went to the bank and it didn’t take long to discover that a $35 check he put in the mail, was washed, changed, and electronically submitted. The crazy thing is that the bank let this slip through. They went into his line of credit to pay for the check without so much as calling him. It should have been a red flag because he hadn’t used this line of credit in over ten years.