Experts say not only to watch out for “check washing” but “cooking checks”.

HOUSTON — A Houston woman says she lost $24,000 after dropping a check into a U.S. Postal Service collection box, raising concerns about a surge in check fraud across the area.

Jamie Forward said she mailed the check earlier this month from the Oak Forest Station post office. The payment, intended for a retirement account she shares with her business partner, never reached its destination. Instead, she said, the money was deposited into someone else’s account.

Forward’s case is one of several reported to KHOU 11 following the recent arrest of a Sugar Land postal worker, though the U.S. Postal Service said it is not aware of theft connected to this specific incident and is investigating.

Experts say the crime appears to be part of a growing trend known as “check washing.”

“Starting in 2021, we have seen a dramatic increase in the volume of washed checks,” said David Maimon, director of the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group at Georgia State University and head of fraud insights at SentiLink. 

RELATED: Houston-area woman says check washing scheme cost her more than $12,000 after mailing tax payment

Check washing involves stealing a check and using chemicals such as nail polish remover or bleach to erase the payee and amount, allowing criminals to rewrite the check. Maimon said criminals are also using more advanced tactics, including “cooking” checks.

“Cooking checks is essentially the criminal taking the original check, scanning the signatures, taking all the information, then using software to edit and print new checks,” Maimon said.

The scheme is spreading, with multiple Houston-area residents contacting KHOU 11, some questioning whether postal workers could be involved.

Forward said she reached out to the station after seeing a similar case reported.

“My financial person sent me a link to the report about something similar in the Houston area,” she said. “That’s why I reached out, because obviously it’s a larger problem.”

The loss has had a significant impact on her small business.

“That is a lot of money,” Forward said. “It’s a big hit for a small business like ours.”

Forward is now working with Chase Bank and the Houston Police Department to try to recover the funds.

Maimon advises people to avoid mailing checks when possible.

“I strongly recommend folks to simply avoid writing checks and mailing them using USPS,” he said.

Some consumers have turned to gel pens, believing the ink is harder to erase. However, Maimon said even that precaution may not be enough to stop determined criminals.

The USPS advises victims of suspected mail theft to report the crime to local law enforcement and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

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