NC woman warns others after discovering check washing scheme

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — A Wake County woman is warning others after thieves altered a check she wrote, changing the amount from $85 to $4,000.

Jane O’Connor noticed the hefty check in her bank statement and found that her original check had been stolen from the vendor she sent it to. After changing the amount, the suspected thieves then deposited the check into their account using a mobile app.

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O’Connor told WRAL she had taken precautions by mailing her check directly from the post office, but still fell victim to this scheme.

“I felt like I had done everything right by going into the post office to make that payment,” O’Connor said.

The crime, known as check washing, involves altering the details on a check to increase the amount before cashing it. Wake County deputies have reported an increase in stolen and forged checks in recent weeks, indicating a growing trend of this type of fraud in the area.

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Action 9 has previously warned about check washing. Jason Stoogenke found that using gel pens, such as the Uni-ball 207, are harder to erase.

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