Preventing Check Washing

To help avoid this scam, for a limited time all RiverWood Bank locations will provide gel pens to customers upon request at no charge. See a RiverWood banker for details!

Have you heard of check washing? This devious scam involves criminals stealing your check from the mailbox, erasing your details, and substituting their own. It's a troubling thought, but there's an easy way to safeguard against it: using a gel pen. Let’s explore how you can protect your finances.

Understanding Check Washing

Check washing is a method where fraudsters use chemicals to erase the ink from a check, leaving only the blank paper. They then rewrite the check, often to themselves, for a higher amount, sticking you with the debt. Personal checks, made of soft and porous paper, are especially susceptible to this type of fraud. Detecting this kind of tampering can be challenging as altered checks can appear genuine even to banks.

The Role of Gel Pens in Prevention

Gel pens contain pigments suspended in a water-based gel, making their ink resistant to most chemicals. These pens work well on various surfaces, especially porous ones. By using gel pens, you not only ensure the durability of your checks but also protect them from tampering attempts.

Why Choose Gel Pens Over Regular Pens?

People often use ballpoint pens to write checks, but the ink from these pens can be easily removed with certain chemicals. Ballpoint pens use oil-based ink that sits on the surface of the paper. When exposed to water or other chemicals, this ink can be washed away. Switching to gel pens is a more secure option. Gel ink bonds better with paper, dries quickly, and is resistant to smudging, making it more durable and legible than ballpoint ink.

Additional Measures to Protect Your Checks

If you're worried about the security of standard check paper, consider using check stock that comes with built-in security features. These might include watermarks, microprinting, or special inks. You can also print your own checks on such stock. However, printer ink can sometimes be easier to remove, so using gel pens remains a wise precaution.

Check washing is a serious crime that can result in significant financial loss. Protecting yourself can be as simple as using blue or black gel pens. These pens offer clear, vibrant writing, quick-drying ink, and strong resistance to chemical tampering. Taking small, manageable steps like using a gel pen can significantly enhance the security of your personal information. Remember, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

To help avoid this scam, for a limited time all RiverWood Bank locations will provide gel pens to customers upon request at no charge. See a RiverWood banker for details!

*While using gel pens can help reduce the risk of check washing scams, it is not a foolproof solution and should be used alongside other security measures