What is Digg?64 Comments
- chandypants, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Howdy Folks... I work for Clarke American (www.clarkeamerican.com) and I want to dispel a lot of your fears. We are the 2nd (or 3rd I forget right now...) largest check provider in the US. Your biggest risk in ordering checks is by ordering from one of the bargain places you see advertised on the Internet or in newspapers... Yes they have great novelty checks for almost anything, and are incredibly cheap, however something has to be sacrificed to get the cost so low, and what the usually cheap out on is the printing materials (Inks and paper) and the technology of the check design itself. When I started working for CA we spent a TON of time learning about check fraud (Like our partners that work in the branches learn as well), and the cutting edge technologies that are being implemented to combat the crooks. Check washing was huge a few years ago, however it has become less of a concern for the major check providers (usually the ones that you're referred to from your bank.) It is amazing the technology behind checks these days. For example, if you exposed our checks to any type of altering chemical, it causes a reaction with the paper that browns it and fades all of the information off, so any attempts to alter the check chemically by removing the ink simply leaves you with a check-sized piece of paper colored grocery-bag brown, or with huge blue dots on the check. Our checks are also near impossible to copy (As the tellers know), attempts to copy the checks are met with a huge VOID showing up on the copy, as well as we also mix in fibers to some of the higher-grade check papers that are only visible under a black light. Also, take a look at your signature line with a magnifying glass... you should notice that it's not a line at all, but actual words that would blur if it were put into a copier. The best thing you can do is actually order checks through your branch, Check washing is a concern of the past for the major providers, we usually stay ahead of the crooks, and are constantly keeping your security in mind. It does mean you will have to play a little more for your checks, but the pay-off is the peace of mind of knowing that your financial information is secure and safe. Just so you know, to order checks from us, your Financial Institution must be partnered with us (The same is true for deluxe I believe). To learn more you can actually stop in most branches and ask to see the check catalog and listed within the catalog you can see the security features I mentioned here as well as others. So, let not your heart be troubled, this is not near the issue it once was!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1sounds like Catch Me If You Can
- wlloydda, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1A few years ago, the check washers were operating around here, I lost a few utility checks to them, but they apparently weren't able to wash them because they were never submitted for payment. I have used a Sharpie ever since, but mostly putting the checks in the inner mail slot at the post office and using online bill payment is the way to go. They had a big operation set up in a garage with runners to steal the checks from mailboxes and a full crew of washers and forgers.
Never did hear what kind of prison terms they received. I was able to get the late fees from the missed utility payments waived by presenting a copy of the newspaper article to the utility companies. - Uber-Geek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I use a uni-ball Signo, which is specially designed to not wash off. The package even says what check washing is.
Get yourself a pack. - EN7r0py, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Damn maybe i shouldn't write my checks in pencil...
- emostar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Feels safe to know that we don't use checks in Japan... instead we have problems with people stealing ATM card numbers and pin numbers with hidden cameras that they place on the ATM.
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=2&id=356519&page=5 - DiscoLoke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's legal to write your checking account number and routing number on a napkin, write in a dollar amount and pass that off as a check. Hell you can write a "CHECK" on anything, I once did it on a sliced up box of Marlboro reds hehe. That bank broad wasn't happy about it, but eventually after about 20 minutes of her manager calling other banks they had to take it.
- craigtheguru, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm using Gel pens from now on.
- synch42, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Interesting experiment but if they were truly only trying to raise awareness on the topic most of the details (i.e. what they actually used for the washing) could have been left out. Just show that it can be done and what you can do to prevent it.
- jr0515, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Kind of concerned how many thiefs this article is going to create, especially now that it's on the front page...
- disk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I use a bic z4
- sensei_zebub, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0using checks for some is unavoidable. the ease of this is truly frightening. I'd like to see how printed (laser / ink jet) check fare
- Gledster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Interesting. I always thought ballpoints were best to use as they left indentations on the paper. Hmmm.. +digg.
- jo42, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0> all the "I don't use checks anymore".
Hoot! Just wait till the day when people's account balances start decreasing all by themselves...
Ever read one of those automatic payment agreements? I stopped doing it the 'new' way when I found out the various companies could take up to $10,000 out of my account without any consequences. They now all get a check every month. - SaintStryfe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I work at an office supply store, and they have ads for dark ink gel pens as a way to prevent Checkwashing... Uniball especially pushes this.
Anyway: If you write checks, you should use a higher security pen. But brand names don't matter: gel ink is gel ink. And if you have a pen you like, check your local office supply store: there's a good chance it has a gel-ink replacement refill that'll give it the same security. and do be careful when filling out your checks: gel pens generally smear easy when the ink is fresh. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0We use a Check Embosser! The numbers and words for the numbers are embossed in the paper.
- SkipM5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Nothing new, has been around for some time.. Computer printed company checks is a bigger problem. Most companies are going electronic payment or transfer.. direct banking etc..
- purpleacid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0What about printed checks ie. computer ink? Anyone have any info on the "washability" of inkjet ink? Laser toner?
- berger69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0well i guess i will stop steeling ball point pens from work now, just take the good gel pens;-)
- Kissitfatty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0no my sister works at the bank and she always tells people to use a permanant marker when they write a check
- FatGecko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0In reference to the questions about writing checks with an ink jet printer, don’t do it. The ink from an ink jet printer will wash off with plan old water. I just tested it on a page I printed off a few days ago from my HP and the ink came off in about a minute. As for using a laser printer, depends on the printer, I would be willing to says that they are better then ink jets but I not sure. Most laser printers fuse the ink (toner) to the paper and are not as easily washed off. But some of the cheap laser printers, I mean cheap, the fused ink will actually flake off leaving a blank page. I have only seen the flaking happen twice though.
- cober, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Dropping the checks off at the post office directly is actually quite efficient. You would be surprised how quickly the post office can deliver first class mail - delivery to major metropolitan areas is only 3-4 days.
- multifaceted, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Gotta love the internet you can learn lots of thinks like how to wash a check and how to build a pipe bomb.
- invader, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i sold many uniball vision elites a few years back when i worked at officemax by talking about check washing.. at the time, articles were saying the VE's were the safest
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Very good and interesting experiment! I'm definately putting more thought into the pens I use.
- sWeEtReVeNgE, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Man good thing i only use the ATM
- MacAddict, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Don't count on the teller spotting it. When my wife first got her job and direct deposit was being setup, she took the pay stubs to the bank (by mistake) and they cashed them (even though they were just pay stubs). The money had already been direct-deposited. We told the bank and they deducted the amount from her account....
I couldn't believe it. - gr00vy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is all fine and good. But hardly necessary...
If you have a check you can do one of two things...
Order you're own copies from Deluxe Checks, or any of the folks that advertise in the sunday paper... Order Cats, they're cute...
Or print your own... Try Versa Check...
Check washing is only really interesting if it is *not* a personal check. Like a tax return or something of that nature. - Benelli90, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is why I use a Fountain Pen loaded with Noodler's Black Ink on my checks. They have been running a $1,000 challenge for a while now...
http://www.luxurybrandsusa.com/noodlers/contest%20$1000.doc
And here is a good comparison of it versus gel pens:
http://members.aol.com/scaupaug/ink/
Best Ink in the world, period.
Benelli90 - mancat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My cousin was a tweaker for a few years. He showed me how he would remove signatures with acetone and a fine paint brush.
- bob645, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Try washing this: http://www.pbsoffice.com/images/Paymaster9000.jpg
I use one for every check I send through the mail because of rampant mail theft. - Canthros, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I've taken to using a water/solvent proof fountain pen ink as insurance against this sort of thing. Holds up as well or better than a Sharpie.
- borderpatrol, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Gee, I dont use checks. Guess im still safe.
- kacymartin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The site says to use Gel Ink pens, however the bank recommends not to use them because the machines used to read checks dont pick up on the gel ink well and can cause delays in check processing which can screw with people who like to run their check accounts low.
- ksponge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I don't even use checks. I use my debit card pretty much exclusively for everything. I don't even have checks from my bank.
- n00854180t, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You'd have to be fairly brain dead to actually wash checks as a criminal business. There are far more lucrative things you could do, without the massive chance of being caught (checks leave a nice paper trail, for one) and getting a pretty massive sentence (fraud isn't too good to get into in general, too much risk for little reward).
Interesting to know, glad I don't use checks. - ultraelite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Where I work there was a glitch in payroll and about half the checks didn't get signed, guess what all of them got cashed unsigned (about 400), wenatchee is a small town but seriously how dumb can the tellers be. After that the company had a talk wiht local banks about fake checks that might be coming thier way
- elpayo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0People still use checks?
- OOTay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0look like they were making drugs lmao!
- Vergeh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I wasn't very impressed with the quality of the cheque washing. Any teller who's been on the job for more than a month could easily tell those things had been tampered with. Plus, most personal cheques worth a damn have invisible chemical dyes in them that react with most solvents and make a great big VOID appear on the cheque when it's washed.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Scary *****
- jeff4379, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Ever read one of those automatic payment agreements? I stopped doing it the 'new' way when I found out the various companies could take up to $10,000 out of my account without any consequences. They now all get a check every month.
Except all someone needs is your account number and routing number (both on your check) to do some serious damage to your account. I'm sorry, but billpay is still a better route as far as I'm concerned.
/works at a bank - n00854180t, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Thanks for the informative heads-up, Chandypants!
- HeroreV, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Check #517 (#517 not shown)"
Hilarious. - Sell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Ive tried multiple times with many different solutions, techniques, inks, and checks and I've never had a washed check that would pass as legit. Most if not all checks now have many security measures against this. this article didnt show you what the other side of the checks looked like either, prolly because the paper becomes near transparent and the ink may seemed washed from the front but it's soaked through to the back of the check. I do know 2 people that have pulled this off but good luck because it's not easy.
- chaosbuddha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0this has 1337 diggs
- solarbuddy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I've had checks stolen from the mail, altered with NO trace of the original ball-point endorsement, and cashed at a Hong Kong bank. I was out over $400 until the business on whom the check was drawn passed affidavits of forgery down the line to that Hong Kong bank. It took nine months and only worked because the company who wrote the checks was willing to fight for me! Checkwashing is very much alive and well.
- Limitzorz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Check washing isn't possible with a decent bank:
http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/8880/washingislame3hu.jpg
The check on the left was washed by me, and yes: it's still wet with rubbing alcohol. - scubajared, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0For a video demonstration of check watching in action and more information on the UniBall 207 Gel Pen as a promotional product.
www.farfromboring.com/promotional-blog/2007/01/anti-check-washing-pen-uniball-1.html - captainjmash, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i work at a major bank. these are easy to spot and rarely ever get through.
esp. in California ( OC, where I am) there is so much fraud that we are heavily trained on how to spot things like this.
i will enjoy catching you. good luck! -
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