Montana Residents Warned: Avoid Mailing Checks on Specific Days

When was the last time you wrote a check? I had to order more checks recently. It was odd to think that I wrote enough checks to need a refill.

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Remember the days before debit cards? When we would either deal in cash or check. I can remember the day when I went bowling with no cash. I can remember the look on the bowling alley employee's face when I busted out my checkbook to rent a pair of bowling shoes.

Checks may be an old way of exchanging money, but they are still used every day. Thieves are aware of the fact that people still mail checks. That is why they developed a method to cash stolen checks. It is called "Check Washing."

According to the US Postal Inspector's website

Check-washing scams involve changing the payee names and often the dollar amounts on checks and fraudulently depositing them. Occasionally, these checks are stolen from mailboxes and washed in chemicals to remove the ink. Some scammers will even use copiers or scanners to print fake copies of a check.

 

Check washing can happen to anyone. My own mother was recently a victim of check washing here in Montana. Her envelopes of paid bills were swiped from her mailbox before the postman could collect them. Soon she realized the checks never made it, but the money was gone.

Experts warn that check washing and postal theft are increasing across the country. Montana is no stranger to the crime. But, there are ways you can decrease the risk of possibly being "check washed."

According to gobankingrates.com, you are at higher risk if you mail checks on Fri/Sat

While Friday might seem like a good day to send your important documents, you might want to hold off until the following week. This is because Fridays tend to be busier and, depending on what time you drop off your docs, you could miss the mail pickup for the week. Saturday is also a day that is generally best avoided, unless you’re not in a rush to get your documents to where they need to be.

When mailing items on Friday, there is a chance that they will not be picked up. Meaning they can be potential targets for thieves. Your best bet is to take all checks or financial documents directly to the post office. However, if you do place envelopes with checks in your mailbox, Monday through Wednesday are lower-risk days.