The stolen check problem is NOT fear porn.
Paper checks have the bank routing number and your bank account number. It is easy to make blank checks with this information. A low tech method is to simply steal checks from someone’s mail box and take it to a check cashing store. We stamp the back of each check we mail out ‘For Deposit Only’. Not fool proof, but helps. An even simpler way is to use the bank routing number and account number to make an online purchase. We have had this problem with one of the major chain stores. If you catch it when you review you bank statement (and everyone does this. Right?) the bank will reverse the charge. If you don’t catch it, the money is taken from your account and you are not even aware it happened.
Didn’t say it’s not an issue - stated the publication of the issue is designed to drive support for pushing transactions to the electronic - and more easily tracked - format that the tyrants prefer.