Natick Man Lost $10K In Check Washing Scheme

NATICK, MA — A Natick man losing nearly $10,000 in a check washing incident is being used as a cautionary tale about the low-tech theft tactic.

Natick resident Tom Slamin told Boston 25 that a check he mailed in March to pay a company that cleaned his oil heater was stolen from the postal system. The thief washed the amount Slamin had originally written on the check and replaced it with a much higher amount.

The station found similar check washing reports at police departments across Massachusetts, including in Framingham and Wayland.

According to the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service, check washing is a form of identity theft where thieves use chemicals to remove ink from checks. They then write out new checks in whatever amount they choose.

USPIS typically recovers about $1 billion in counterfeit checks each year, but consumers can also take steps to stay safe, according to the agency: mail checks before the last pickup of the day at blue postal boxes; never leave checks in your home mailbox to be picked up by the postal worker; and hold your mail whenever you're away from home for an extended period.