You try to use your credit card to make a purchase and are told it has been declined.
asserted
it → try → purchase
In a panic, you call your credit card company, which informs you that they never received your last payment.
asserted
they → call → payment
"That’s impossible," you exclaim, knowing you sent the payment in weeks ago.
asserted
you → ’ → payment
You go to check other recently paid bills to find out that several others, including your housing association fees and insurance payments, weren’t received.
asserted
others → go → fees
You head to your bank, only to find out that the checks have been "washed" — that is, fished out of the mail, ink lifted and re-made out to other people.
asserted
ink → head → people
This exact scam happened to one of my family members, and per the US Postal Service, these scams are surging, with Postal Inspectors recovering "more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders every year."
asserted
Inspectors → happen → checks
The US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has said that check fraud doubled from 2021 to 2023!
asserted
fraud → say → 2023
My family member thought she did everything right.
asserted
she → think → everything
She avoided online payments so she wouldn’t be subject to online payment scams.
asserted
she → avoid → scams
The checks were dropped off at the local post office in a box right outside the facility.
asserted
checks → drop → facility
But still, she ended up being scammed (which fortunately, with the help of her bank, she wasn’t liable for the clearly stolen funds).
asserted
she → end → funds
So, if even the mail isn’t safe, how can you protect yourself?
asserted
you → protect → yourself
First, use a special pen
Check washing uses a chemical process to remove the ink.
asserted
washing → use → ink
Using a gel pen can make this process more difficult for criminals to do.
asserted
criminals → use → pen
Also, pressing hard when writing can make it more difficult to erase.
asserted
it → press → ?
However, this is not a fool-proof plan either, as many authorities are noting that scammers are now using technology to scan the checks with your signature and reproduce fake copies using their computers.
asserted
scammers → note → computers
So, the pens can help as a deterrent, but aren’t 100% safe, either.
asserted
pens → help → deterrent
Consider paying in person
If you have the ability to do so, pay your bills in person.
asserted
you → pay → person
Of course, it’s less convenient, but a lot more secure.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
You can also consider paying online, but this opens you up to online scams, so make sure you do so safely, using best practices.
If you choose to use the mail, drop off inside the post office, don’t use mailboxes
Yes, it’s less convenient, but even the boxes owned by the government are targeted by scammers, so physically go into the post office to drop off your mail.
asserted
boxes → consider → mail
Get your mail frequently so that scammers can’t pull information from your mailbox.
asserted
scammers → get → mailbox
If you plan to travel, put a free hold on your mail delivery with the post office while you are away.
asserted
you → plan → office
Monitor your payment status regularly
Acting quickly can help to make sure you recover any misappropriated funds.
asserted
you → monitor → funds
Designate a day a week to be "bill day" and make sure all your bills have been paid and the payments have gone through as expected.
asserted
payments → designate → ?
If any payment is taking too long to process, look into it immediately.
asserted
payment → take → it
Scammers are rampant and looking for every edge to defraud hard working Americans.
asserted
Scammers → look → Americans
Be diligent, even when you are doing something as routine as mailing a check.
asserted
you → do → check
The Aporia
