While the bad actors have utilized check washing for several years to scam individuals, it has become more sophisticated, explains Monmouth Police Department Investigator Josh Kramer:
“Say you get a check sent to you, it gets taken from your mailbox and what they will do is, the washing is they used to change numbers or change the name on the check. Now what they do is actually print a whole different check, they will keep the amount the same, but they will reroute it to a different name.”
To protect yourself from check washing, the United States Postal Service encourages to deposit mail before last pickup or at your local Post Office, retrieve mail frequently, and if you are leaving town hold your mail at the Post Office of have it picked up by a friend or neighbor.
For more on check washing, visit:
Check Theft & Check Washing | American Bankers Association (aba.com)
Check Washing – United States Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov)
