Protect Yourself From “Check Washing”

January 19, 2023

A form of fraud known as “check washing” is on the rise, in which a check sent through the mail is intercepted by fraudsters who change (“wash”) the payee name and often the dollar amount in order to fraudulently deposit the check for themselves. Be wary of this type of scam and take the following steps to help protect yourself and your money:

• Always check your banking activity. Make sure any checks you’ve written have cleared, and that there are no checks or amounts you don’t recognize.
• Use Kish Digital Banking for added security. Monitor your account activity in real time and set up custom security alerts.
• When mailing checks, take extra precautions. Consider using a blue USPS collection box or your local Post Office instead of your mailbox for outgoing checks.
• When in doubt, call Kish. If any activity seems unusual, call our Client Solutions Center at 1-800-981-5474 to report the suspicious activity as soon as possible.