Blogging in Evelyn City

Check Washing - What is this and how it could affect you very badly.

If you are using pre-printed checks to pay bills, you are in danger of becoming a victim of ‘Check Washing’. You become a victim once the thieves acquire your fully written check and use household chemicals to wash the date, payee, and amount off of the check. They then dry the check and fill in the information the way they want it to appear. According to the latest analysis this activity is costing the public $815 million annually. Various steps can be taken to reduce the possibility of falling victim to check washing. These include mailing checks by placing them in secured mailboxes, using secure ink dispensed from a gel, rollerball, or fountain pen, filling in all lines on the check, and careful scrutiny of bank statements. Another option is to use check writing software and check paper to print up your own checks. The software and paper are readily available at most office supply stores.

There is a least one pen on the market that will not wash away - Uni Ball 207 Gel Pen - sells for about $3.99 for two pens at Walgreens.