[font style="font-weight: bold;" size="5"]Schneier on Security[/font]
A weblog covering security and security technology.[h2]February 08, 2006[/h2][!-- robots content="noindex" --][h3]Check Washing[/h3][!-- /robots --]Check washing is a form of fraud. The criminal uses various solventsto remove data from a signed check -- the "pay to" name, the amount --and replace it with data more beneficial to the criminal: his own name,a larger amount.[/p][a href="http://www.ckfraud.org/washing.html"]This webpage[/a] -- Iknow nothing about who these people are, but they seem a bit amateurish-- talks about check fraud, and then gives this advice to check writers:[/p][blockquote]WHAT TYPE OF PEN TO USE WHEN WRITING A CHECK:If you are a ballpoint pen lover, switch to black ink when securityis important. Among water-based inks, remember that gels are the mostimpervious. But when you're writing checks to pay the monthly bills,only one type of ink, the kind in gel pens, has been found to becounterfeit proof to acetone or any other chemical used in "checkwashing." Most ballpoint and marker inks are dye based, meaning thatthe pigments are dissolved in the ink.[/p]Based on recent ink security studies, we highly recommend that youuse a gel pen, like the Uniball 207 that uses gel ink that containstiny particles of color that are trapped into the paper, making checkwashing a lot more difficult. The pen sells for about $2. Personally Isign all my checks and important documents with one. But if you don'twant to switch, do not hesitate to to use your favorite fountain pen.Just fill it with ink in one of the more durable colors and enjoy![/p][/blockquote]I just wish they footnoted this statistic, obviously designed to scare people:[/p][blockquote]Check washing takes place to the tune of $815 million every year in the U.S. And it is increasing at an alarming rate.[/blockquote]
I hardly write checks nowadays...I pay all my bills online, either authorizing deductions directly from my checking account or credit to my credit cards.
I haven't had a checking account in years. Checks will soon go the way of the LP record.
what? Haven't had a checking account?! Your insane. I don't have a credit card so I have no credit. All I use is a debt card. But I never write checks. Funny story I left my check book on top of my car after leaving the library. Realised I didn't have my check book about 3 mins. later. Back checked it was laying face down in the center lane of one of the busiest roads in my county. Put the flashers on get out of the car (in rush hour) right as a hummer is driving by close the door go to the street and pick it up and get into my car just as another hummer comes by. Laughed, called myself an idiot turned off the flashers and moved onto the street and headed home. crazy, i thought crazy.
Ay caramba! Scary scene![/DIV]I've tried to stay "off the grid" as much as possible where banks are concerned. About ten years ago we just got fed up with banks-late fees and all that garbage- and just stuck to cashing checks at the bank they were drawn on (can't really do that any more) and paying bills with money orders. That way we always knew exactly how much money was in our "account". Lately we've given in and got a savings account, but online bill pay is on the horizon for us. And credit cards? Never! I know what kind of trouble I would get myself into with one of those things. It sucks though because in many ways you become a second class citizen without one. It astounds me that places want to use them for ID and whatnot when it's so easy to steal someones mail and apply for one.
I use rubber cheques... impossible to wash.
its a good idea to use credit cards once in a while and pay the balances owed on time....one never knows when one needs a credit report for a loan. Credit reports rely heavily on credit card activities.
I have a Visa and a department store card. I prepay them before I use them so that my credit is excellent and I don't have to pay any fees. Good I.D., and still handy for an emergency.
It's been years since I've written a cheque. Online bill payment is the only way to go for me.
I had an interesting incident yesterday. I went to pay for my purchases at a fabric store, and they wouldn't accept my cash. Apparently they don't take $100 bills. I told them I thought that might be illegal (even though I don't know if that's true), and perhaps a 30 or 40 dollar bill scanner was in order.
either they do not carry much cash in their register for change or they were burnt once too often by counterfeit bills
I'm sure they have been bitten....but don't most places have those 'bill readers' ? I think they're only 30 or 40 bucks. I was making an $87 purchase. It wasn't a BIG deal....just a bit of a nuisance.