Scammers and mail thieves are more active during tax season, but any time of year, there are precautions you should take to protect your paper check payments.
But their checks were altered and cashed by crooks instead. According to the Nasdaq's Verafin company, which specializes in fighting financial crime, check fraud was up 11% in 2025 -- despite the total number of check transactions decreasing by 7%.
Scammers and mail thieves are more active during tax season, but any time of year, there are precautions you should take to protect your payments. First, opt for more secure checks and pens. Many banks offer checks printed on special paper that makes it harder to remove ink from it. There are also pens with indelible gel ink that doesn't respond to the chemicals often used to try to remove it.
When hand-writing your check, you should also draw a line in every empty space left after filling it in - taking up the room a crook could use to squeeze in additional writing. Once your check has left your hands, be sure to keep an eye on your bank account. AI-generated fake IDs and altered checking images have passed basic verification checks that would have caught manual forgeries in the past.
You should also check the online image of your cashed check as soon as it's available to make sure it went to the right recipient. You usually only have a short window of time where you can report the fraud to your bank.7 On Your Side. 7OYS's consumer hotline is a free consumer mediation service for those in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We assist individuals with consumer-related issues; we cannot assist on cases between businesses, or cases involving family law, criminal matters, landlord/tenant disputes, labor issues, or medical issues.. As a part of our process in assisting you, it is necessary that we contact the company / agency you are writing about. If we believe we can be of assistance, we will reach back out in response.
Taxpayers flood Napa Co. Tax Collector's Office after payments vanish in check fraud scheme2 separate deaths on UC Berkeley campus under investigation: police
Pay By Check Paper Check Mailing Check Check Is In The Mail Property Tax Check Theft Altered Check 7 On Your Side 7Oys Stephanie Sierra Consumer News Money 18952311
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
More winter-like weather in the spring as rain hits Bay Area againThe region’s rain is expected to be finished at some point early Wednesday.
Read more »
Young Bay Area-bound pianist earning raves in the jazz worldNew York jazz star bringing his trio to SF, Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay April 25-27.
Read more »
Pleasanton’s own Batch22 celebrates 20 years of rocking Bay AreaCatch Batch22 in concert at McKay’s Taphouse & Beer Garden in Pleasanton.
Read more »
Bay Area arts: 10 great shows and concerts to catch this weekendFrom an acclaimed jazz singer to a superstar pianist, there are some great shows to catch this weekend in the Bay Area.
Read more »
7 amazing Bay Area things to do this weekend, April 24-26Got your weekend plans? We have some nifty ideas, from amazing musicians and movies to some tasty Portuguese cuisine.
Read more »
Bay Area arts: 10 great shows and concerts to catch this weekendFrom an acclaimed jazz singer to a superstar pianist, there are some great shows to catch this weekend in the Bay Area.
Read more »