{"id":3800,"date":"2026-03-16T19:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T19:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amerantbank.com\/ofinterest\/?p=3800"},"modified":"2026-03-19T16:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T16:06:09","slug":"protecting-your-money-in-the-age-of-check-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amerantbank.com\/ofinterest\/protecting-your-money-in-the-age-of-check-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Your Money in the Age of Check Fraud\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Check fraud remains a persistent and evolving concern in an increasingly digital world. Criminals employ mail theft techniques to intercept checks and steal hard-earned money. At Amerant Bank, your financial security is our top priority. Let\u2019s explore the current landscape of check fraud and learn practical strategies to protect yourself and your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Growing Trend of Check Fraud <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both the FBI and USPIS<\/a>\u00a0warn that check fraud is rising, with a significant volume of fraud enabled by mail theft. Suspicious Activity Reports related to\u00a0check fraud\u00a0have nearly doubled from 2021 to 2023. Fraudsters take advantage of regulations requiring financial institutions to make check funds available within specified timeframes, often too short for the consumer or financial institutions to identify and stop the fraud. As a result, the compromised checks clear, and the criminal participants withdraw the funds before the fraud is detected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2025 Association for Financial Professionals (AFP\u00ae) Payments Fraud and Control Survey Report <\/a>identifies checks as the payment method most susceptible to fraud, with 63% of respondents reporting attempted or actual check fraud in 2024. Despite the risk, checks remain a favored payment method among the surveyed organizations \u2014 91% reported using them, and more than 75% have no immediate plans to stop using them. The survey concludes that most organizations are not yet deterred from using checks even though they are aware of the risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its analysis of the Financial Trend Analysis (FTA) report, FinCEN identified three primary outcomes after checks were stolen from the U.S. Mail<\/a>: (a) 44 percent were altered and then deposited; (b) 26 percent were used as templates to create counterfeit checks; and (c) 20 percent were fraudulently signed and deposited. Check manipulation methodologies ranged in sophistication, and many perpetrators tried to avoid interaction with bank personnel. FinCEN also found that banks filed 88 percent of all mail-theft-related check-fraud reports. Additionally, analysis revealed that financial institutions reported transactional activity or BSA filing subjects linked to every U.S. state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. While every state was affected, populous states with large urban areas had more reported incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mail theft-related check fraud losses can affect personal savings, checking accounts, business accounts, and retirement savings, and can also negatively impact financial institutions that typically cover these losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methods Fraudsters Employ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s fraudsters intercept checks before they reach their recipients\u2019 mailbox, gaining access to sensitive personal and account information. Once they have a check, they employ various techniques to alter or counterfeit it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n