NC sheriff warns fraudulent checks are on the rise; Here’s what to know

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) —  The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said there has been a recent increase in check fraud reports.

Many are tied to checks believed to have been stolen from mailboxes.

“It definitely seems like there’s been an uptick in check fraud. But that’s … not just in Guilford County. That is also statewide and nationwide,” said Bria Evans, GCSO public information officer.

The GCSO said there have been nine reports of check fraud in the last two months, reporting theft and forgery. Six were reported in August.

”Three of them happened just last week in our district, one location. So that covers your Stokesdale, Summerfield area, Oak Ridge,” Evans said.

The victims range in age from their late 40s to their 80s.

“When you check your bank statement and you realize that you intentionally mailed a check for $400, but now it’s $4,000, you are a victim of check fraud. Your check was most likely washed or altered. A zero was added on to that number, and the payable to name was changed. So there are ways that fraudsters have learned to erase your information off of the check and change it in a way that benefits them,” Evans said.

The sheriff’s office is investigating each case and wants to hear from anyone affected.

Here are some things to keep in mind to prevent this from happening.

“We want people to be mindful … mailing checks from your home. Even post office collection boxes are not the safest way to send a check. We recommend taking the check directly into the post office, but the safest way is to just pay it online. Mailing checks is just not the safest option because check fraud can happen anywhere,” Evans said.

The sheriff’s office encourages you to watch out for elderly neighbors who may rely on mailing their checks from home.

They also recommend setting up a neighborhood watch program to help give your neighborhood an extra set of eyes to report fraudsters and suspicious activity in your neighborhood.

If you contact the sheriff’s office, they will help neighborhoods set up a watch program.