What is “Check Washing”?

Criminals are using a sneaky tactic called “check washing” to steal your money.

The Process: They intercept your mailed check, “wash” off the ink using common household chemicals, and rewrite it to cash for themselves. They can also “white out” the ink or use copiers/scanners to create entirely fake copies.

This fraud targets not only personal checks but also business checks, tax refunds, and government benefits.

Did You Know? The United States Postal Inspection Service recovers more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders every year.

Learn more about check fraud from the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Long-Term Protection Strategies

Taking a few simple steps can significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim.

🛡️ Go Digital!

The best defense is to eliminate the use of paper checks whenever possible. Switch to electronic payment methods like ACH (Automatic Clearing House) or wire transfers for secure funds transfers.

📬 Protect Your Mail

Your checks are often stolen before they even reach the payee. Minimize this risk:

• Deposit Mail Before Last Pickup: Place your outgoing mail in blue collection boxes before the last pickup time or, even better, drop it off directly at your local Post Office.
• Retrieve Mail Frequently: Never leave your incoming mail in your mailbox overnight.
• Hold Mail at Post Office: If you’re going on vacation, have your mail held or ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick it up for you.