Check Fraud on the Rise: Americans Urged to Take Precautions.

Check fraud has been on the rise since 2020, with stimulus checks becoming a target. Banks reported 680,000 cases of check fraud in 2022, up from 350,000 in 2021. The US Postal Inspection Service also reported roughly 300,000 complaints of mail theft in 2021. Scammers are using sophisticated, multi-person schemes to steal checks and drain bank accounts. Postal authorities and bank officials are warning Americans to avoid mailing checks if possible, or at least to use a secure mail drop such as inside the post office.