I heard about something the other day that I thought I should pass along. An acquaintance of mine had her checkbook stolen. Before she could notify her bank, the thieves were able to go to the local Wal-Mart and cash a check for more than $1,000 without any form of ID, because checks had been cashed there before, and her information was on file. At Wal-Mart, checks get “cashed” immediately and treated like a debit, so my friend is out the money with very little hope of ever catching the thieves.
I’ve also been alerted that shoppers at Wal-Mart and other big box stores have been victimized by cashiers who add a “$20 cash back” charge to the credit or debit card amount, and then pocket the cash.
The lesson for all of us is to be very careful! Ask that a demand for positive identification be added to your information on file at the stores where you shop. You’ll have to present positive ID every time you want to pay by check, but that’s better than losing $1,500 with no recourse. Be sure you check the total of any charge receipt before you leave the register, so that you can dispute any additional charge. Make sure you speak to the manager if an unauthorized charge appears.
Have records of all your credit card numbers and other account numbers, along with contact information. Call the companies immediately if your wallet or purse is stolen, and notify your bank immediately so that they can put a stop on your account. (This is where having a good relationship with your banker is important, because you’ll want to be able to authorize individual checks as they are presented for payment, so that legitimate checks aren’t automatically bounced.)
Being safer takes more work in this electronic age!