Checks have become very dangerous. My in-laws sent a check to their daughter and it was intercepted and fake checks issued. Guy at the bank said it's a national phenomenon. NPR had a segment on it recently.
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/03/1077766541/usps-checks-mail-fraud-bank
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/a-man-put-a-check-in-the-mail-it-was-stolen-altered-and-cashed-for-1900/2892470/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/thieves-are-stealing-checks-usps-boxes-it-mailbox-fishing-or-n1237320
I suspect this is the culprit. Been around for years.
Amazon.com : micr ink
https://www.amazon.com/micr-ink/s?k=micr+ink
We've been able to print our own checks for decades using micr ink ...anyone who copies your current check's micr data line could print a check drawn on your account.
FIRST line of defense, though, is to prevent further identity theft. In the US, freeze your credit with the 3 credit bureaus. (PITA)
>sent a check to their daughter and it was intercepted
Where was it posted? Rural mailbox? Blue USPS box? Other?
> Guy at the bank
Did the bank resolve this fraud?
Mmm... it's always a bit hard to get details over the phone given the hearing issues and obstacles that creates, but here's my best guess.
1. It was mailed from the post office and arrived in a not-very-secure mailbox on the receiving end to someone who doesn't check her mail very often. Ample opportunity for someone to go through the box.
2. The bank caught the fraud and stopped the check, but recommended that they close the account and start with a new account and new account number. That mostly means everything that is set up on autopay and so forth needs to be set back up. So the big setback is hassle and increased fear of sending things through the mail, but the checking account was not drained.
>not-very-secure mailbox
We have big, multi-box USPS stands at various corners of our large neighborhood. There have been multiple incidents of mass-mail theft since 2019. Thieves open the large rear panels and quickly take everyone's mail.
Last month, our local mail carrier (very nice woman) was robbed at gunpoint while delivering mail. This was at about 1pm in a very upscale area. They wanted her keys. Turns out the local USPS key is universal and opens all the multi-box units in town.
Mail security doesn't exist.
A friend in Colorado Springs just reported the same multi-box theft problem in their neighborhood. We're both transitioning to electronic payments for all remaining paper bills.
For convenience, I overpay my routine bills (by check) and have the vendor carry a credit balance. This cuts my number of checks by 2/3rds. I write about 30 checks a year to kids & grandkids for birthdays & christmas and I've been thinking of converting them to Amz gift cards --which I suspect the older grandkids would really rather have.
> transitioning to electronic payments
Keep me posted on what you end up using.
>> electronic payments.
Mostly bitcoin unless the vendor takes dogecoin.
Seriously - cash-back credit card if they take it. My bank's Bill Pay system if they don't.
Those are my first choices.