USPS Check Washing Scam Nearly Costs Senior $14,000
A USPS Check Washing Scam nearly cost a Korean American senior about $14,000 after three checks she mailed were stolen and fraudulently altered.
In one case, a check originally written for $118 was changed to $4,118 before it was cashed. Some of the stolen checks had both the payee names and payment amounts altered.
The U.S. Postal Service has urged residents to exercise extra caution as “check washing” schemes increasingly target checks stolen from mailboxes. Criminals use chemicals or other methods to erase information on a check, replace the payee and amount, and then cash it.
USPS Check Washing Scam Targeted Three Mailed Checks
ABC7 reported on Sept. 3 that the victim, identified as San Francisco resident Kyung-ja Moon, had mailed three checks that were later stolen.
A $118 check intended for the San Francisco Rent Board was altered to $4,118 and cashed. Two other checks, mailed to San Mateo County and San Francisco County for property tax payments, were also fraudulently cashed after the payee names were changed.
“Three checks were altered, and I lost about $14,000,” Moon said.
BMO, or Bank of Montreal, ultimately recovered the full amount.
Moon said the incident had left her afraid to use mailboxes. She now plans to deliver checks directly to the appropriate agencies.
Kyung-ja Moon describes the losses she suffered after her checks were stolen and forged. [ABC7 screenshot]
Check Theft and Forgery Cases Spread
Similar check theft and forgery cases have been reported across the region. In the South Bay, a $100 check was recently altered to $6,000.
Earlier this year, property tax checks mailed by more than 50 homeowners in Napa County were stolen. The losses totaled approximately $1.5 million.
USPS said thefts targeting mail containing checks have surged since the COVID-19 pandemic.
How Consumers Can Protect Their Checks
Experts recommend using gel pens when writing checks because the ink is more resistant to chemical erasure. Consumers should also review their bank transactions frequently to identify unauthorized activity as quickly as possible.
Anyone affected by a USPS Check Washing Scam should immediately contact their bank and law enforcement authorities. Banks typically require customers to report check fraud within 30 to 60 days, although specific deadlines vary by institution.
