Mail Check Fraud Doubled From 2021 to 2023 as USPS Recovers $1 Billion a Year

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 13

Check fraud tied to stolen mail payments doubled from 2021 to 2023, with criminals fishing checks from mailboxes, washing off ink and rewriting them to other payees.
Postal inspectors now recover more than $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders annually, underscoring how widespread the scheme has become.
Victims can miss credit-card, insurance or housing payments for weeks before discovering the theft, though banks may reverse losses when checks are clearly altered.
Security advice centers on reducing exposure: use gel pens and press hard when writing, drop mail inside post offices rather than curbside boxes, and monitor bill status weekly.
Even those steps are not foolproof because scammers can scan signatures and create fake checks digitally, pushing consumers toward in-person or carefully secured online payments.