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Written By Regent Bank

Protect Your Mail, Protect Your Money

What’s Happening:

Mail theft and altered checks continue to rise. Fraudsters steal checks, change the payee or amount, and attempt to cash or deposit them. Mail theft and check fraud continue to be significant threats, but awareness and simple prevention steps can dramatically reduce your risk. Protecting your mail is protecting your identity, finances, and peace of mind.

How Check Fraud Happens

Check Washing

Criminals use chemicals to remove ink from a legitimate check, then rewrite the payee and increase the amount. (Tip: Use a gel ink pen vs. ball point when writing checks. The gel ink penetrates the paper better- making it harder to remove.)

Counterfeit Checks

Fraudsters use the account and routing information from a stolen check to create high-quality counterfeit versions.

Altered Payee Names or Amounts

Only specific fields—like the payee name or the dollar amount—are changed, making the fraud less noticeable at first glance.

Selling Stolen Checks Online

Organized groups sell stolen checks on online marketplaces or encrypted apps, enabling widespread and rapid fraud.

Common Red Flags

  • Missing mailed checks
  • Checks clearing for unexpected amounts
  • Delayed payments or vendor complaints

What You Can Do

  • Avoid leaving outgoing mail in unsecured mailboxes and drop your mail off at the post office if/when possible.
  • Monitor your account regularly
  • Consider electronic payments when available
  • Gel pens with pigmented ink are harder to remove/wash.

Report missing or altered checks immediately—timing matters. You can also file a report with the USPS at www.uspis.gov and request a USPS postal Inspector investigation.