Protect Your Checking Account from Fraud

• Use checks with security features – Criminals know a variety of ways to remove, change, or alter the amount information on the front of a check. Checks you purchase through DCU have features to help thwart this activity.
• Use a ball point pen – Because most markers are water-soluble, they can be easier for crooks to remove from the paper.
• Print all but your signature – Cursive writing is much easier to alter (see illustration). Fill in unused space on the face of the check with a line to prevent anyone from adding information.
• Securely store and dispose of checks – Keep unused checks and check copies in a secure place. Shred checks you never intend to use.
• Consider plastic instead of paper – Check (debit) Cards and credit cards have fraud protections built in that checks don't – including the ability to dispute transactions if the merchant doesn't deliver the goods as agreed.

• Use a restrictive endorsement whenever possible – If your check is lost or stolen before you deposit it, it can still only be deposited in your account. Don't use this endorsement if you do not intend to deposit your check.
• Wait to endorse if cashing – If you plan to cash the check, don't endorse it until you visit a branch. Sign the check in front of the teller. A check endorsed with only your signature is negotiable. That means anybody else can add their own signature and cash or deposit the check in their own account.
• Don't accept a check in payment that looks altered – If the check turns out to be stolen, you could end up stuck with the loss.