Murrysville couple lost thousands of dollars after check made to JCPenney was ‘washed'
A couple from Murrysville reported that they mailed their check to pay their monthly bill, but instead of settling their account, they became victims of a scam that cost them thousands of dollars.
'Someone altered our check from $19.19 to $7,500,' said Rick Jeske.
For years, Rick and his wife have been paying their bills by mailing checks. However, this month, when they sent their JCPenney bill for $19.19, it never reached its destination.
'On Wednesday morning, I received a notification from my bank indicating that our balance was extremely low—thousands of dollars below what it should have been,' Jeske explained.
Scammers had intercepted the check, removed the original amount, and rewritten it with a much larger figure.
Officials have labeled this scam 'check washing,' a method in which thieves target mailboxes and use chemicals like bleach or acetone to erase the ink. They then write in a new payee and amount before cashing the check.
'Writing a check and mailing it is like leaving your front door wide open,' Jeske cautioned.
Channel 11 News has been following recent cases of check washing. Earlier this week, the Ross Township Post Office launched an investigation after several outdoor drop boxes were targeted, leading to stolen and altered checks.
Authorities are now urging people to take precautions:
Switch to Electronic Payments: Use services like PayPal, Zelle, or Cash App.
Use Security Pens: If you must write checks, opt for pens with indelible black gel ink. This ink penetrates the paper fibers, making it more difficult to erase than ballpoint ink.
Mail Securely: Avoid leaving checks in unattended mailboxes. Instead, drop them off at a post office during business hours or deposit them in blue collection boxes shortly before the last pickup time to reduce the amount of time they spend in the box.
Safeguard Your Mailbox:** Check your mailbox regularly and retrieve mail daily, especially if it contains checks. If you are traveling, consider holding your mail at the post office or asking a trusted neighbor to collect it.
Check Your Account Regularly: Review your bank statements and transaction history frequently to identify any unauthorized withdrawals or unusual activity. Report any discrepancies to your bank immediately.
'We immediately closed our checking account, and the bank opened a new account for us. We'll be using these special gel pens if we write checks through the mail,' Jeske shared.
Now, they are waiting for their bank to reimburse the cashed check, which is how they initially discovered the issue. Jeske filed a police report and will have to wait to recover his lost funds.
'The bank informed us that they have some protections in place and hope to get our money back within 90 days,' he added.
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