Check Fraud Prevention Card

Could Your Next Check Be Rewritten?

• You drop checks in the blue collection box on the corner.
• You write checks with whatever pen is nearby.
• Mail sits in your box overnight.
• You'd only notice a washed check weeks later.
• A bill you expected never showed up.
• You're not sure who to call if a check is stolen.

Paper checks haven't gone away, and thieves know it. They steal checks from mailboxes and collection boxes, "wash" the ink off with chemicals, and rewrite them for far more than you meant to pay. By the time the statement arrives, the money is gone and the recovery process has begun.

This one-page card shows you how to write checks that resist washing, mail them more safely (or skip paper altogether), catch problems early, and respond in the right order if a check is stolen.

What's inside: four habits for safer checks

✍️ Writing Checks: use a black gel pen, fill every space and line through the blanks, and never sign a blank check or leave the payee empty.

📮 Mailing Safely: hand checks in inside the post office instead of using outdoor blue boxes, pay by ACH or bank bill-pay where you can, and pick up incoming mail every day.

👀 Monitoring: watch your account for surprise withdrawals or unfamiliar check numbers, turn on check alerts, and notice when expected mail goes missing.

🚨 If Victimized: notify your bank right away, file a police report and a USPS mail-theft report, report to the FTC, and place a fraud alert with the credit bureaus.

Who it's for

• Anyone who still mails rent, bills or gifts by check
• Older adults and the family members who help them with finances
• Small business owners who write or receive checks
• Anyone whose neighborhood has had mailbox break-ins

Why it works: it focuses on the few habits that defeat check washing and mail theft, from the pen you use to where you drop the envelope, so a stolen check is much harder to turn into stolen money.

📄 1-page printable PDF (US Letter) · Instant download · Unlimited personal printing

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Great Companion Guides

Pair this with:

• Wire Transfer Safety Card
• Monthly Statement Review Tracker
• Identity Theft Warning Signs Checklist
• Online Banking Safety Checklist
• Credit Freeze Quick-Start Card
• Emergency Fund Fraud Recovery Tracker

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