Does Check Washing still happen?

These days checks are becoming less common as online payments are more widely accepted, but this doesn’t mean we should neglect to consider the very real threat of banking fraud. Check Washing is a very simple, low-tech method used by thieves, to alter checks you have written by chemically erasing the hand-written part of the check. Quite unbelievably, the chemicals used in the check washing process are available very commonly in stores! The washed checks can then be altered. Normally just the payee name is changed, so the thief can literally deposit the check and steal your money without you noticing an unusual amount on your bank statement.

Attempted check fraud including check washing has more than doubled in the past three years reaching an estimated $12.2 billion in 2006, according to the latest American Bankers Association Deposit Account Fraud Survey Report. Of this figure, $969 million was successfully stolen in 2006.

So how can you minimize your risk of check washing?

Check Washing Defensive Tips