January 23, 2024
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CONSUMER ALERT: THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S DIVISION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION PROVIDES TIPS TO AVOID CHECK WASHING SCAMS |
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Avoid mailing checks from public collection boxes to protect yourself from fraud Secretary Rodriguez said: “To protect against having your bank account emptied, I encourage New Yorkers to follow our tips to protect themselves and their businesses.” Follow the New York Department of State on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for “Tuesday’s Tips” – Practical Tips to Educate and Empower New York Consumers on a Variety of Topics The Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection is providing consumers with guidance to avoid mail theft and check washing schemes. During check washing schemes, thieves steal checks, often in bulk from U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes and use common chemicals like nail polish remover to erase (or “wash”) the payee and dollar amount while preserving the check’s original signature. These scammers can then profit from making checks out to themselves or selling the stolen, signed blank checks. According to the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the number of check fraud crimes nationwide surged in 2020 and has worsened each year since. In 2022, FinCEN received over 680,000 suspicious activity reports related to check fraud, almost twice number recorded in 2021. “People may not be writing as many paper checks but check fraud is still a serious issue because check washing scams can cost consumers hundreds to even thousands of dollars and the fraudulent charges can take weeks to reverse,” said Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “To protect against having your bank account emptied, I encourage New Yorkers to follow our tips to protect themselves and their businesses.” Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector in Charge of the New York Division said, “When thieves violate the sanctity of the mail, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will spare no resource to bring these nefarious individuals to justice for their crimes. Our persistence in investigating these crimes, along with recent enhancements to USPS equipment and other prevention efforts, are the many ways we ensure the public’s trust in the U.S. Mail.” Follow these tips to avoid mail theft and check washing scams: TIPS TO AVOID CHECK WASHING:
What to do if you experience check washing:
About the New York State Division of Consumer Protection The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection. For other consumer protection tips and consumer alerts, consumers can visit the DCP website or follow DCP on social media via Twitter at @NYSConsumer or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.
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