Check Fraud: How to Prevent It and What to Do If It Happens

Short answer: most check fraud starts with a stolen check that is altered, copied or forged. Cut the risk with checks built to resist tampering, safer mailing habits and close account monitoring. Checks Unlimited’s High Security checks list six security features and cost $28.49 for 80 singles, or $21.92 a box in a 4-pack; its standard Blue Classic checks, with chemical protection, erasure protection and a microprint signature line, are $18.07 a box in a 4-pack. Prices checked November 7, 2026.

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Types of check fraud

• Check washing (alteration). A thief removes the ink from a stolen check with chemicals and writes in a new payee or amount. Our check washing guide covers it step by step.
• Counterfeit checks. Your account and routing numbers, copied from a real check, are printed on fake checks.
• Forged signatures and endorsements. A stolen check is signed or endorsed by someone else and deposited or cashed.
• Fake check scams. Someone pays you with a check that later bounces after you have sent money back (see fake check scams).
• Deposit fraud. A stolen or altered check is deposited through an app or ATM, or the same check is deposited twice.

How common check fraud is

In its September 2024 analysis, FinCEN reported that 841 financial institutions filed 15,417 reports on mail theft-related check fraud in the six months after its February 2023 alert, tied to more than $688 million in suspicious activity. Of the checks stolen from the mail:

• 44% were altered and then deposited
• 26% were used as templates to create counterfeit checks
• 20% were fraudulently signed and deposited

FinCEN said every U.S. state, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico was affected, and that many perpetrators tried to avoid dealing with bank staff.

8 ways to prevent check fraud

1. Order checks with security features. Checks Unlimited’s High Security Blue and High Security Parchment checks list Hologram Security Square, Fraud Warning, Heat Reactive Ink, Chemical Protection, Erasure Protection and Microprint Signature Line. Its standard designs, such as Blue Classic, list Chemical Protection, Erasure Protection and Microprint Signature Line.
2. Write with gel ink. Pigment-based gel ink is harder to wash off than ordinary ballpoint ink; see our check writing pen guide.
3. Fill every line. Write the payee and amount close to the left edge and draw a line through unused space so nothing can be added.
4. Mail checks inside the Post Office. Or use a blue collection box before the last pickup, in a security envelope.
5. Endorse deposits restrictively. Write “For deposit only” and your account details above your signature, or use a For Deposit Only stamp.
6. Store blank checks securely. Keep checkbooks and new boxes locked away, and shred voided or old checks.
7. Track every check. Record each check in a check register and compare it with your statement or app.
8. Turn on account alerts. Most banks can alert you when a check clears; businesses can ask about positive pay.

Secure checks compared

Prices from Checks Unlimited’s own product pages, which say prices include a per pack handling fee. Each box is 80 checks.

Checks Unlimited option	1 box (singles)	2 boxes	4 boxes	Duplicates, 1 box	Security features listed
High Security Blue / Parchment	$28.49	$49.59	$87.69 ($21.92 a box)	$34.49	Hologram Security Square, Fraud Warning, Heat Reactive Ink, Chemical Protection, Erasure Protection, Microprint Signature Line
Blue Classic (standard)	$23.49	$38.99	$72.29 ($18.07 a box)	$29.49	Chemical Protection, Erasure Protection, Microprint Signature Line

Writing business checks? Our high security business checks guide covers business formats, and the high security checks page compares hologram checks in more detail.

Check security features explained

How Checks Unlimited describes its features on its check security page and Security Center:

Feature	What it does
Chemical protection	Stains or spots appear when the check is chemically altered
Erasure protection	Shows when the document has been erased
MicroPrint signature line	Tiny type that appears as a dotted line when photocopied
Security screen	A screen on the back of the check
Hologram security square	Holographic foil that Checks Unlimited says is irreproducible on copiers or scanners (High Security checks)
Fraud warning and heat reactive ink	Listed on the High Security product pages

Mailing checks safely

From the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s mail theft and check washing pages:

• Drop outgoing mail in a blue collection box before the last pickup, or hand it in at the Post Office.
• Pick up incoming mail promptly and never leave it in the mailbox overnight.
• If a check you expect does not arrive, contact the sender as soon as possible.
• Use the USPS Hold Mail service when you travel.

Mobile deposit and check fraud

Depositing by app keeps a check out of the mail, but it raises its own risks. Follow your bank’s endorsement rules for mobile deposits (many ask for “For mobile deposit only” under your signature), keep the paper check only as long as your bank says, then shred it, and never deposit a check for someone else.

Fake check scams

The FTC’s fake check scam guide says banks must make deposited funds available quickly, but it can take weeks to discover a check was fake, and you have to repay the bank. Its advice: never use money from a check to send gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency to someone, and be wary of a check for more than the agreed amount. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If your checks are stolen

1. Call your bank. Ask about stopping payment on the missing check numbers, whether to close the account, and review recent transactions.
2. Report mail theft. USPIS takes reports at 1-877-876-2455 or uspis.gov/report.
3. File a police report and keep copies of everything.
4. Reorder checks on the new account; our how to reorder checks guide walks through it.

This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Your bank can tell you its deadlines for reporting unauthorized checks.

Check fraud protection plans

Checks Unlimited offers SentryShield Check Fraud Protection as an add-on at checkout. Its Security Center says the program delivers an advancement of funds up to $25,000, generally much faster than a bank, in the event of forged signatures, forged endorsements and altered checks.

Check fraud: frequently asked questions

What is check fraud?

Check fraud is using a check to take money that is not yours: altering a real check (check washing), printing a counterfeit using your account details, forging a signature or endorsement, or paying someone with a fake check. FinCEN found that checks stolen from the mail were most often altered and deposited.

How can I protect my checks from fraud?

Use checks with chemical protection, erasure protection and a microprint signature line, write with pigment-based gel ink, mail checks inside the Post Office, store blank checks securely, and check your account often. These steps make fraud harder and easier to catch; none makes a check impossible to alter.

Are high security checks worth it?

They add features aimed at copying and alteration. Checks Unlimited High Security checks add a hologram security square, a fraud warning and heat reactive ink to the chemical protection, erasure protection and microprint signature line on its standard checks, for $28.49 a box of 80 singles or $87.69 for 4 boxes ($21.92 a box), on October 29, 2026.

How much do secure checks cost?

At Checks Unlimited on October 29, 2026, Blue Classic checks with chemical protection, erasure protection and a microprint signature line cost $23.49 for one box of 80 singles or $72.29 for 4 boxes ($18.07 a box). High Security checks cost $28.49 for one box or $87.69 for 4.

What should I do if my checks are stolen?

Call your bank right away, ask about stopping payment on the missing checks and whether to close the account, and review recent transactions. If the checks were stolen from the mail, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or uspis.gov/report, and file a police report.

How do fake check scams work?

The FTC says scammers send a check, ask you to deposit it and send part of the money back by gift card, wire or crypto. The bank makes the funds available quickly, but it can take weeks to find out the check was fake, and you have to repay the bank.

What is positive pay?

Positive pay is a bank service where you send the bank a list of the checks you issue, with check number and amount (and payee name for payee positive pay). The bank flags any check that does not match before paying it. It is mostly offered on business accounts.

Is it safe to mail a check?

It can be made safer. USPIS advises dropping outgoing mail in a blue collection box before the last pickup or handing it in at the Post Office, picking up incoming mail promptly and never leaving mail in your mailbox overnight.

Related guides

• Check washing
• High security checks
• High security business checks
• Check writing pens
• Check envelopes
• RFID sleeves
• For Deposit Only stamps
• Check registers
• How to reorder checks online
• Check companies compared

Affiliate disclosure: GetBankChecks.com is an independent guide, not a check printer. Some links are affiliate links, and we earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Prices, codes and designs change, so check them on the merchant’s site before you pay.