Still sending checks in the mail? It's time to stop. It can be risky

Palm Beach Post ^ | September 5, 2026 | Daniel de Visé

[ConservativeStatement]

Every time you send a paper check in the mail, consumer advocates say, you're putting your bank account at risk.

Check fraud is rising, even as the number of checks in circulation is declining. In 2025, federal data shows, Americans lost more money to check fraud than to debit card or gift card scams.

Consumers are writing fewer checks these days, but the amounts are larger, and thieves know it.

"Criminals know that when they see a check in the mail, it's less likely to be a $10 check and more likely to be a $10,000 check," said Scott Anchin, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and policy at the Independent Community Bankers of America.

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TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: checks; mail; theft

[brownsfan]

As risky as putting your cc number all over?

[PeterPrinciple]

Americans lost more money to check fraud than to debit card or gift card scams.

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Check Fraud vs. Debit Card and Gift Card Scams in the U.S.
Recent Federal Reserve data shows that, for U.S. financial institutions, debit card fraud caused more losses than check fraud — not the other way around — and gift card scams are not a major category in these official figures.

What the Federal Reserve reports
A 2024 Federal Reserve Financial Services survey of over 360 banks and credit unions found that debit card fraud was the single largest source of fraud losses, accounting for 39% of total payment fraud losses in 2024, followed by check fraud at 30%
ABA Banking Journal
ABA Banking Journal
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net Says

[ProtectOurFreedom]

We pay all of our utilities electronically. Most require direct debit and do not accept credit cards. No fees.

One water company charges a separate fee to pay by credit card.

[Puppage]

Never seen that either, and I pay 98% of my bills online.

[Señor Presidente]

Checks... of course. But sending millions of votes by mail is completely secure!

[God luvs America]

I rcently sent a direct rollover check for $750k via USPS tracking mail. They lost the check after one day

Every “customer service” rep i dealt with on the phone or email I ended the conversation the same way- “and you people think you can handle our election ballots???!!!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Same here. We have a couple of local lawn service people who don’t use Zelle or Venmo. We set up the bank to mail a monthly check to one (no bank fee) and I pay the other guy with ApplePay.

[AFB-XYZ]

Rest assured, it’s not just you.

[TBP]

More shilling for a totally digital economy, which is a tool of the surveillance state.

[rktman]

🤔. Likely they’d feel so bad they would make a deposit into my account. 😂👍🇺🇸

[Thank You Rush]

“”it’s less likely to be a $10 check and more likely to be a $10,000 check,””

Hokem! Taken from a person’s mailbox? ...Not likely. Anyone mailing a check for $10,000.00 needs help!!!

[AFB-XYZ]

Best risk reduction to stollen mailed checks - give it to clerk at the postal window or drop in the postal box inside the post office.

Excellent idea, and well worth any very minor inconvenience.

[FamiliarFace]

I still don’t use ApplePay, but that’s just a personal preference. The only person I’ve needed it for is our firewood guy, but we give him cash instead. He appreciates that ‘cause his teenagers help him when he delivers it. Speaking of firewood, we need to get our second order in. What we have currently won’t last us until Christmas, and I don’t want to be stacking firewood once the temps drop and snow is on the ground.

[ChronicMA]

I have multiple bank accounts for multiple purposes, and I use some of them for any transaction that could be risky whether check or online or debit card. Of course those accounts have a small balance to limit the risk of someone trying to clean out my account.

[sauropod]

bkmk

[Dilbert San Diego]

I admit I have not kept up. I’ve heard of zelle and venmo, but I don’t understand how they work. I don’t understand why I need a service such as venmo or zelle, If I have a bank account and can pay bills electronically from my bank account or using my credit card.

[Bob434]

A Card Skimmer at a gas station got my info and drained my account of almost $1000- Thankfully they spent it all on small purchases from one website which was a tip off to the bank it was fraud- it was for stupid crap like stickers for online games or characters or some such nonsense- This was before i even knew about card skimmers at gas stations (now they even install them right in supermarkets in seconds without anyone knowing- )

Anyways- bank gave me back the $$ after investigating- but really they shoulda alerted me right away when 30 purchases in an hour happened at that site- now i have it so i shut off the card after making a purchase, and have the bank alert me to ANY purchase - been 2 years now- so far so good- I only pay cash at gas stations now too-

[TangoLimaSierra]

I'm 75 and haven't written a check/mailed it in 10+ years.
On-line payments are much easier & convenient.

Same.

[TangoLimaSierra]

Checks have your bank routing info and your account number on it. The thieves just need that info to cause the problems, not the check.

And since it's magnetic ink, they have probably figured out a way to scan the envelope without opening it.

[KarlInOhio]

The only checks I have written in years have been my dad’s nursing home and haircut bills. I finally got lazy and put the nursing bill on the bank’s bill pay just because I got tired of writing it and handing it to the receptionist. All of mine are through the bank’s system. I can tell which are electronically delivered and which are still mailed by the bank by the 2 day vs 5 day delivery schedule. I don’t know if the checks the bank mails are just as vulnerable.