How to Write a Fraud-Proof Check
Fraudsters have found clever ways to alter the names and amounts on checks you've written. Use these simple steps to prevent them from taking your money.
It may seem as though check-writing is becoming a lost art, but it remains a popular way to send money. A recent study from Abrigo, which makes fraud-prevention software, found that 61% of Americans still write checks.
If you’re among them, there are a few simple precautions you can take to avoid fraud and theft.
Check washing and ID theft
Check washing scams involve changing the payee names or the dollar amounts on checks and fraudulently depositing them. Criminals may also steal checks from mailboxes and use chemicals to remove — or "wash" off — the ink before rewriting it to themselves.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
To avoid falling victim, make sure to fill out all the required fields on a check. If possible, use indelible ink or a gel pen; gel ink is more difficult for criminals to “wash” off than ink from a ballpoint pen.
If a blank space appears to the right of the dollar amount you’ve written, draw a line through the space to help prevent crooks from altering or adding to the amount. Roxann Cooke, senior director of consumer banking at Chase, recommends that you never make a check payable to “cash,” which could allow anyone to deposit it. Instead, write the intended recipient’s name.
Also, avoid sharing too much of your personal information on a check. Don’t include your driver’s license number, Social Security number or anything else that a thief could use to steal your identity.
Mailing checks safely
If you’re sending a check through the mail, put it in a security envelope, which has a crosshatch pattern on the interior to mask the envelope’s contents. Or, if you use a standard envelope, wrap the check in a piece of paper before you place it inside.
Cooke suggests taking your check to a post office to mail it rather than putting it in your home mailbox, where a thief may be able to intercept it more easily. For extra protection — say, for a large payment — you can send the check by certified mail, which requires the recipient to provide a signature upon delivery.
Finally, always follow up with payees to make sure they've received your check.
Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.
Related content
-
Forget FIRE: Why ‘FILE’ Is the Smarter Move for Child-Free DINKsHow shifting from "Retiring Early" to "Living Early" allows child-free adults to enjoy their wealth while they’re still young enough to use it.
-
7 Tax Blunders to Avoid in Your First Year of RetirementA business-as-usual approach to taxes in the first year of retirement can lead to silly trip-ups that erode your nest egg. Here are seven common goofs to avoid.
-
How to Plan for Social Security in 2026's Changing LandscapeNot understanding how the upcoming changes in 2026 might affect you could put your financial security in retirement at risk. This is what you need to know.
-
Tip: Ways to Track Your Credit Card RewardsHere are the best strategies and apps to help you stay current with your credit card rewards.
-
How We Manage Our Finances Together as a Married CoupleDouglas Boneparth, a certified financial planner, and his wife, Heather Boneparth, speak with Kiplinger about couples managing finances.
-
Where to Stash Cash as Yields Fall, According to AdvisersYour best options depend on how soon you'll need the money and your tolerance for risk.
-
7 Ways to Save Money on Almost EverythingHigh prices got you down? These strategies can help you reap deep discounts on everyday spending.
-
Premium Rewards Cards: More Perks, Higher FeesSome issuers are hiking the annual fee on their flagship luxury credit cards by hundreds of dollars. Are they still worth using?
-
3 Trips to Escape the Winter Doldrums, Including An Epic CruiseThree winter vacation ideas to suit different types of travelers.
-
How to Leave Different Amounts to Adult Children Without Causing a RiftHere’s how to leave different amounts to adult children without causing a family rift.
-
Your Guide to Buying Art OnlineFrom virtual galleries to social media platforms, the internet offers plenty of places to shop for paintings, sculptures and other artwork without breaking the bank.
