Full Breakdown
The Rising Threat of Check Fraud in the Mail
By Drooid · · How we work
The Scope of the Problem
Federal data for 2025 shows that Americans lost more money to check fraud than to debit-card or gift-card scams. Although paper checks accounted for only about 3 percent of all U.S. payments in 2024, the volume of checks written has declined while the average amount per check has grown, making each mailed check a higher-value target. Criminals routinely steal checks from residential mailboxes or USPS drop boxes, then “wash” the original information and alter the amount or payee before cashing the forged document. Consumer-reporter Chuck Bell recounted a 2021 incident in which thieves altered a heating-bill check and cashed it for $25,000, a loss he later recovered.
Expert Insights & Official Responses
Scott Anchin, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and policy at the Independent Community Bankers of America, warns that organized crime groups now harvest checks en masse and use sophisticated technology to create counterfeit copies. He notes that the check’s design has changed little, leaving it vulnerable to manipulation. Joe Bernardo, head of fraud and claims at Wells Fargo, emphasizes that every additional handling point increases exposure to theft. Adam Rust, director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America, points out that a check’s account and routing numbers are “very personal” and “very sensitive,” and that thieves can sell blank checks on the dark web after removing identifying information.
Safety Tips for Those Who Still Mail Checks
- Request checks with built-in security features (watermarks, holograms, chemically sensitive ink).
- Write using permanent-ink pens; avoid ballpoint pens, which are easy to wash off.
- Fill all blank spaces on the check to prevent addition of extra zeros or names.
- Use a secure USPS mailbox or deliver the check directly to the post office rather than leaving it in a residential box.
- After mailing, monitor the electronic image of the deposited check and verify the payee with the recipient.
- Report any suspected fraud promptly to both the bank and law enforcement; banks typically require notice within 30 days.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Criminals know that when they see a check in the mail, it’s less likely to be a $10 check and more likely to be a $10,000 check,” — Scott Anchin
- “Twenty years ago, 30 years ago, we were talking about solo operators,” — Scott Anchin
- “The check is still fundamentally the same,” — Joe Bernardo, head of fraud and claims at Wells Fargo, in a September interview
- “It’s really trivial to wash ballpoint ink off a check,” — Scott Anchin
- “The more touch points there are along the way, the more bad things can happen,” — Joe Bernardo, head of fraud and claims at Wells Fargo, in a September interview