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Check fraud / check washing: how it works, warning signs and what to do

Banking fraud · médio

In check washing, criminals steal mail from mailboxes or collection boxes, use chemicals to erase the payee and amount, and rewrite the check to themselves for more money. They may also copy the details to print counterfeit checks.

In the fake check variant, the victim receives a check from a buyer, "employer" or "prize" for more than agreed and is told to deposit it and send back the difference by wire, gift card or crypto. The bank makes funds available within days, but when the check is found to be fake, the deposit is reversed and the victim bears the loss.

In Brazil, checks have given way to Pix and cards, but scams with altered or bounced checks still appear in sales of used goods.

Sinais / Signs

• A check for more than agreed and a request to return the difference
• An "employer" sending a check before you start work
• Mailed checks that never arrive or clear with a different amount/payee
• Pressure to act before the bank confirms the check cleared
• Smudged ink, stained paper or signs of alteration

Prevenção / Prevention

• Prefer electronic payments to mailing checks
• If you must mail one, take it inside the post office rather than leaving it in a mailbox
• Use an indelible gel pen and fill in every field
• Never return an "overpayment" from a check; available funds do not mean the check is good
• Businesses: use bank positive pay and daily reconciliation

O que fazer / What to do

• Notify your bank immediately and request a stop payment or dispute
• In the US, if mail was stolen, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• Report to the FTC and, if personal data was misused, IdentityTheft.gov
• Monitor the account and consider closing it and opening a new one

FAQ

My bank made the funds available. Is the check good?

Not necessarily. Funds must be made available quickly, but a fake can take weeks to be discovered.

Who loses the money if the check was fake?

Generally the person who deposited it. That is why you should never forward money from a stranger's check.

FTC - ReportFraud · FTC - IdentityTheft.gov · FBI IC3 - Internet Crime Complaint Center