Fraudsters are going old school and using household cleaners to defraud Americans of their money. Think twice before putting a check in the mail

It’s easy. Thieves nab checks out of the mail and use nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol to erase the payee’s name and check amount, pen in a new name and amount — and laugh all the way to the bank.

This retro crime is even easier in the digital era. Crime rings sell stolen checks on the dark web in return for cryptocurrency. They hire “money mules” to deposit falsified checks into fraudulent accounts, according to NASDAQ Verafin.

At the same time, bank employees are relying more on automated processes to cash checks and less on physical inspection, so they may miss the signs of fraud.

All too often, fraudulent checks are cashed. That’s what happened to one California couple who shared their story with The Washington Post.

They mailed a check to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to cover their taxes but the IRS never received it, and claimed the couple owed $12,000 in taxes plus interest. The couple didn’t understand what went wrong.

“We looked at our online Chase statement, and the check had cleared,” the wife said.

Then they examined a scanned image of the check online and discovered someone had removed the IRS as a payee and replaced it with another name.

Check washing cleans money out of bank accounts

When the California couple pointed out the fraud to Chase bank, they were told they’d missed the window for an investigation. But after the media got involved, the bank tracked down the account where the check was fraudulently deposited — and recovered $11,000 for the couple.

“We’re pleased we were able to resolve this matter,” Chase spokesman Jerry Dubrowski told the Washington Post.

Check washing is a big concern around government checks, including Social Security checks and tax refunds. There’s a process to be reimbursed for stolen tax refunds if the Bureau of the Fiscal Service confirms that your refund check was fraudulently cashed.

But getting your money back when it involves a personal check is not so easy.

Cracking down on check-washing crime

For the past three years, USPS has been cracking down on mail theft through an initiative called Project Safe Delivery. The agency is working with the Department of Justice, the Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, other federal agencies and local law enforcement nationwide.

The initiative has led to 545 arrests for postal robberies and 3,654 arrests for mail theft. Last year, the number of letter carrier robberies decreased 54% from their peak in 2023.

But Americans still need to protect themselves. The best form of protection is to opt for digital payments wherever possible — like electronic deposits or payments through your bank or mobile apps.

Still, there may be some situations where you need to send or receive a physical check. In that case, consider these tips:

If you’re signing a check: Use checks with security features, like paper that’s treated to bleed if someone tries to use acetone on them. When you’re signing checks, use gel or rollerball pens with permanent blue or black ink, which is harder to wash off than ballpoint ink. Complete each field thoroughly, with no blank spaces.

If you’re sending a check: Use security envelopes which feature patterns that keep the contents concealed. Go to the post office in person to mail important documents like checks. Avoid putting them in outdoor mailboxes — especially unattended home mailboxes.