✨✨General Discussions

Check Washing: A type of mail fraud where criminals steal paper checks—often straight out of residential mailboxes or blue collection boxes—and use household chemicals like acetone or bleach to erase the payee name and dollar amount. Because the original signature remains intact, the thief can rewrite the check to themselves or an accomplice for a much larger amount and cash it before the victim realizes the money is gone.

One resident here had his monthly fee check,of many thousands, stolen out of the drive-by mailbox "in front of the Post Office." It took months of hassle to get his money back from a bank that let a washed check get through.

Maura Conry

NaCCRA

Forum Facilitator

And of course, many individuals are receiving email invitations to an exclusive party or celebration of some sort. The email will appear to come from a known acquaintance of yours, asking you to accept the invitation. Do not open this suspicious-looking email, and above all, do not click on the space where you are to answer the invite.

I did when I received this fancy invite, and in a few days, my computer was taken over. I needed to bring my computer in to get it "cleaned" .... for $100.

Larry Vanderleest, Baton Rouge

Scams and check fraud constitute a growing crime front, and seniors are particularly vulnerable because most of us still write checks. My local bank is distributing the attached materials from the Federal Trade Commission and the US Postal Inspectors. You may want to share them with your community. Click the word "Attachment" in the footer of this post to view the materials.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member & VP

Forum Moderator