Check Washing Scams

New Year’s Financial Resolution: Protect Yourself From Check Washing Scams!

Have you ever sent a check that was cashed, but the recipient said it never arrived? You may be the victim of check washing.

Check washing scams involve changing the payee names and often the dollar amounts on checks and fraudulently depositing them. Occasionally, these checks are stolen from mailboxes and washed in chemicals to remove the ink. Some scammers will even use copiers or scanners to print fake copies of a check. In fact, Postal Inspectors recover more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders every year, but you can take steps to protect yourself.

• Deposit mail before last pickup. Deposit your outgoing mail in blue collection boxes before the last pickup or at your local Post Office™.
• Retrieve mail frequently. Never leave your mail in your mailbox overnight.
• Hold mail at Post Office. If you’re going on vacation, have your mail held at the Post Office™ or have it picked up by a friend or neighbor.
• Download the EasternEase Online Mobile App. Our free mobile banking app, ‘EasternEase Mobile’, has many of the same convenient features as EasternEase Online, plus the ability to make check deposits, while using your mobile or handheld device*

Source: https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/check-washing/

*You must have an existing user account with EasternEase Online to utilize the EasternEase Mobile App. Subject to availability requirements. Mobile deposits are subject to verification and may not be available for immediate withdrawal. Deposit limits and other restrictions apply.