Protect Your Cheques
The following information will help you identify, and avoid, cheque fraud.
Types of fraud
People are gaining financial advantage through cheque fraud by:
Altering the payee name or amount on a cheque. This is done without appropriate authority and
acknowledgement from the owner/drawer.
Writing out a cheque for payment knowing that insufficient funds are in the account to cover the
deposited cheque.
Cheque ‘washing’. Cheques are intercepted before being received by the
intended payee. They are then washed and altered - this usually involves chemical tampering where the
original data is removed and replaced with other data, allowing the fraudster to obtain funds.
Tips for avoiding cheque fraud
Never pre-sign blank cheques. Only sign cheques after all details have been completed.
Keep your cheque book in a safe place.
Reconcile your cheque book. Make sure that your cheques match up with your bank account
statement, and alert the Bank of any suspicious transactions.
Leave no spaces where extra words or numbers could be added when writing your cheque.
Cross out the words ‘or bearer’ and write ‘non-negotiable/non-transferable’.
Write these phrases within two parallel lines to minimise the risk of someone other than the payee receiving payment.
When selling goods, identify the person, or have their cheque payment cleared. It is a good
idea to always check identification before giving out items to an unknown party.
What to do if you think your cheque book is lost or stolen
If you think that your cheque books or cheques are lost or stolen, or you suspect fraudulent activity,
contact 0800 18 18 18.