Echeck Processing: 5 Street-Smart Tips To Safeguard Your Checks

by Kay Fione Whether you are an individual who has just opened a personal checking account or a business-savvy merchant with check processing services, you will soon encounter some unfortunate experiences with regards to your checks. Somebody can steal your checkbook and use your checks to pay for fraudulent transactions. Or you could excessively “ personalize” your checks that could leave them open to identity thieves. Either way, it could result in financial loss. Here are some street-smart tips to safeguard your checks: <ol><li>FILL UP ALL FIELDS CLEARLY AND LEGIBLY When you write a check, remember to fill up all fields. Also, make sure that the amount in words matches the amount in numbers. For example, if you have written the words“ one hundred and twenty dollars only”, then you should write the the number $120 on the appropriate field. In case you make a mistake while writing a check, don't try to crash out the error entry. Instead, promptly jot down the words “ VOID” on the face of the check and then get another blank. Erasures will render your check suspect to fraud. </li><li>AVOID WRITING YOUR FULL NAME ON THE CHECKBOOK Doing so will give thieves ideas on how you sign your checks. Instead, just write your initials on it. When thieves steal your checkbook, they will have a harder time to figure out how you sign. If they use your checks by trying to forge your signature, they could immediately be caught. Putting simple initials on your checkbook can effectively deter anyone from stealing and using your checks.   </li><li>WHEN PAYING A CHECK TO CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT, SKIP SOME CARD NUMBERS Mr. Jones, a textile merchant, experienced a bitter lesson about this one. He issued a check to pay for his credit card account. In the blank marked “ To” , he wrote his complete credit card number. Two days after, his credit card account number was used to make a dozen fake credit cards. Some dishonest employee noticed Mr. Jones credit card number on his check, secretly memorized it, and then sold the number to a gang of credit card forgers. It caused a great deal of unnecessary financial loss to the hapless victim. When you use a check to pay for your credit card account, just write the first five numbers and skip out the rest. </li><li>REMEMBER TO WRITE YOUR OFFICE PHONE AND NOT YOUR HOME PHONE When making a purchase and paying with a check, some establishments require that you write your phone number, among with other pertinent information, at the back of your check. This is for verification purposes. In this cases, please remember to use your work phone number and not your home phone. If you use your home phone, you could soon l be swamped with telemarketers calls or some nuisance pranksters. Besides, it will take only some time for persistent identity thieves to check your records and find out your signature. Once they steal your check book, it would be very easy for them to impersonate you and use your checks for fraudulent transactions.   </li><li>KEEP YOUR CHECKBOOK IN A SECURE PLACE Don't leave your checkbook lying around anywhere in your home--- on the chair, on the table, on the sofa, etc... Some guest could discreetly pocket it when you are not looking. As much as possible, store your cheek book in a home vault on in a locked drawer. If you carry the check book with you, remember to tuck it safely in a separate compartment in your bag or in your purse. </li></ol>   Even though you already have an echeck processing service, it still pays to be vigilant and careful in dispensing your check-- be it paper checks or electronic checks. Being always on guard always pays off in the long run. ( Kay Fione is an electronic banking authority with years of solid experience. She finished her Banking and Finance course as an honor student at the University of Minnesota. She currently works as an executive in an Australian bank. She loves snorkeling and writes business articles on her free time. Kay Fione lives with her husband and four kids.)  <a href="http://www.onlywire.com/submit?u=http://www.echeckprocessing.biz/5_street_smart_tips_to_safeguard_your_checks.html;t=check%20processing;tags=Check%20processing" target="_blank" title="Add this Article to Onlywire"><img src="http://www.onlywire.com/i/onlywire.ico" alt="" />Add to Onlywire!</a>

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