Passport renewal drama

[weems637]

I missed the deadline for online renewal, so I mailed in the form, new Pic attached, old passport and a paper check. On August 15, crap hits the fan. Passport renewal on hold until I reply to a letter they are mailing to me. Two unauthorized transactions hit my bank account, putting the account in overdraft!

The check I sent got taken out of the envelope, copied and "washed", put back in the envelope and sent on.

The copy was used to create a "washed" version with a new payee and amount and the check number altered. They then created and electronic check and deposited both into Bank of America.

The Postal System in Jackson, MS and Memphis TN are known for this type of activity. It could be an inside job at the passport office.

The original check, the two forgeries, and the email to me all cleared on August 15, the date of the email.

I'm waiting on the letter to figure what's up. My bank has made me whole financially. Sheriff's office is in contact with the Postmaster General.

 

[dioxide45]

Oof, that really sucks. I've heard about these types of scams and even people who have had checks stolen from the mail that were for 401K and IRA distributions. They were out the money and still had to pay taxes on the withdrawals. I suspect the theft happened somewhere between pickup and delivery. Meaning somewhere within the USPS system. Though it is possible it happened within the passport office.

I am curious, what deadline was missed when it came to online renewal?

 

[am1]

It is crazy checks still exist.

 

[dioxide45]

It is crazy checks still exist.

I think they are the only option when renewing a passport by mail. They really should have a way to provide a credit card number, though there are risks there too but the protections are better. Billions of checks are still written and cashed every year in the USA.

 

[TheHolleys87]

This story makes me even happier that I finally convinced my dad to set up Zelle so that when funds need to go back and forth between him and his family members, no checks need to be sent in the mail (or via expensive FedEx). All of our mail goes through the Houston processing center, which has been under federal investigation for stolen and misdirected mail.

 

[Tia]

I read somewhere to use a gel pen for checks, it doesn't wash like a regular pen.

 

[weems637]

Oof, that really sucks. I've heard about these types of scams and even people who have had checks stolen from the mail that were for 401K and IRA distributions. They were out the money and still had to pay taxes on the withdrawals. I suspect the theft happened somewhere between pickup and delivery. Meaning somewhere within the USPS system. Though it is possible it happened within the passport office.

I am curious, what deadline was missed when it came to online renewal?

When I retired, I was done with foreign travel so I did not renew the passport when it expired. The spousal unit's passport is current and she wants to take the granddaughters cruising with stops at ports of call. I have 3 yrs left to renew, but have to do it by mail (with paper check). The bank "honored" two fraudulent checks totaling over $25,000, putting me in overdraft!

 

[weems637]

I read somewhere to use a gel pen for checks, it doesn't wash like a regular pen.

I used a gel pen. Check was copied somehow, washed, altered, then deposited. Original check made it to the passport office and was processed and cleared my bank unaltered. Masterminds at work!

 

[jp10558]

What's worse is businesses, like LTT, that strongly encourage the use of checks because they charge a 5% "Paypal fee" if you do it digitally.

 

[joestein]

The library in the town next to me has a "passport service center". You go there and they provide the forms, take the pictures, look over your documents, instruct you what checks to write and then put it all together for you. They probably send them in mass to be processed. Always worked well for us.

 

[jp10558]

The library in the town next to me has a "passport service center". You go there and they provide the forms, take the pictures, look over your documents, instruct you what checks to write and then put it all together for you. They probably send them in mass to be processed. Always worked well for us.

Yea, my family has been completely against going to one of the number of local post offices that do the needed stuff and do it correctly. I usually am all online if possible, but when you start needing specific kinds of pictures or eye tests etc, I prefer to once a decade or so go to a place that's set up to do it for cheap. I just don't have a white wall with no lines or moldings to make the passport app happy (did it for my mom, had to digitally edit the image lol)...

 

[WorldT]

The library in the town next to me has a "passport service center". You go there and they provide the forms, take the pictures, look over your documents, instruct you what checks to write and then put it all together for you. They probably send them in mass to be processed. Always worked well for us.

I don't think this would have helped the OP as the theft likely occurred at the post office.

 

[emeryjre]

The entire process of having a check removed from an envelope has become very sophisticated
The thief knows which envelopes are likely to have checks in the envelope based on delivery address
The "washing" process is now at a chemistry lab level
Ask your bank if you can set your bank accounts to be notified of transactions and require approval beyond a certain $ value
Probably the only real protection you can get if you use checks

 

[dioxide45]

I don't think this would have helped the OP as the theft likely occurred at the post office.

But is someone at the post office likely to mess with a large bulk mailing vs an individual envelope? I think that was why it was suggested.

 

[dioxide45]

The entire process of having a check removed from an envelope has become very sophisticated
The thief knows which envelopes are likely to have checks in the envelope based on delivery address
The "washing" process is now at a chemistry lab level
Ask your bank if you can set your bank accounts to be notified of transactions and require approval beyond a certain $ value
Probably the only real protection you can get if you use checks

Checks are cleared overnight through automated clearing house at the Fed or other clearing house. I don't know if it is possible to have checks held for approval. I am not aware of a bank that does it. Banks do have a way to set your account up to not permit an overdraft and have checks returned NSF. I believe this is something you have to opt in to and came about out of some laws created in the 2000s.

 

[emeryjre]

Checks are cleared overnight through automated clearing house at the Fed or other clearing house. I don't know if it is possible to have checks held for approval. I am not aware of a bank that does it. Banks do have a way to set your account up to not permit an overdraft and have checks returned NSF. I believe this is something you have to opt in to and came about out of some laws created in the 2000s.

That is why I suggested he talk with his bank

 

[GT75]

OP, Sorry to hear about your situation. I have never heard about this issue before. This will make me rethink when I send checks by mail. Maybe I should use an account with only enough funds to cover the check.

 

[emeryjre]

The check "washers" do not have to remove information via "washing"
With good document producing software
The take picture of front and back
Put the pictures into the software
Create a new check
They then edit the "new" check
Keeping information like the signature, RTN, account number, etc., etc
Put in the information needed
Submit the check
The power of technology
Thieves will use it all

 

[emeryjre]

Checks are cleared overnight through automated clearing house at the Fed or other clearing house. I don't know if it is possible to have checks held for approval. I am not aware of a bank that does it. Banks do have a way to set your account up to not permit an overdraft and have checks returned NSF. I believe this is something you have to opt in to and came about out of some laws created in the 2000s.

You are correct
There is not a way to put a limit on an account to prevent a check from going through
At least not at my bank
Which is a top 10 bank with branches throughout the country
The branch manager I talked with recommends this
Notified of all transactions- I do that
Have a separate checking account- I do that
Have just enough money in account to cover checks as they are written- I do that
Have overdraft protection shut off so funds are not pulled from other accounts- I do that
This works best with full access to account using online banking- I do that
Obviously I need to keep track of any checks I may write and make sure I have funds in checking account to cover anything I am writing
If I slip up and do not keep enough money in my account
I will pay overdraft fees
So far, I have never paid overdraft fees

 

[dioxide45]

The check "washers" do not have to remove information via "washing"
With good document producing software
The take picture of front and back
Put the pictures into the software
Create a new check
They then edit the "new" check
Keeping information like the signature, RTN, account number, etc., etc
Put in the information needed
Submit the check
The power of technology
Thieves will use it all

Checks can now be deposited through a mobile app. I don't know if banks have limits on the amount that can be deposited in such a way, but it isn't hard to manipulate an image to create a fake check. All that is really needed is a routing and account number. I don't even know how much they verify the signature unless there is a dispute.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Checks can now be deposited through a mobile app. I don't know if banks have limits on the amount that can be deposited in such a way, but it isn't hard to manipulate an image to create a fake check. All that is really needed is a routing and account number. I don't even know how much they verify the signature unless there is a dispute.

My bank limits you to $2000 per day, and a rolling 30-day limit of 5K. I don't get many checks to deposit, so I think I have only encountered the limit once, and then simply went to the branch to make the deposit.

My medical insurance insists on mailing checks when i submit a manual claim for an out-of-network provider. Those are never close to 2K...

 

[Luanne]

Checks can now be deposited through a mobile app. I don't know if banks have limits on the amount that can be deposited in such a way, but it isn't hard to manipulate an image to create a fake check. All that is really needed is a routing and account number. I don't even know how much they verify the signature unless there is a dispute.

My credit union has a limit. I received a large check for an insurance claim and was unable to deposit it online. I don't know what the limit is however.

 

[weems637]

The entire process of having a check removed from an envelope has become very sophisticated
The thief knows which envelopes are likely to have checks in the envelope based on delivery address
The "washing" process is now at a chemistry lab level
Ask your bank if you can set your bank accounts to be notified of transactions and require approval beyond a certain $ value
Probably the only real protection you can get if you use checks

I worked for an insurance company prior to retirement. We provided the bank with a daily transaction file that they used to confirm the validity of transactions coming through the clearing house to hit our account. They called it "positive pay". Any transaction not in the data file was rejected by our bank. This is how Companies filter out fraudulent transactions from hitting their accounts.

This was the first "paper" check that I have mailed through the postal service in years! There will not be another one!

 

[WinniWoman]

This story makes me even happier that I finally convinced my dad to set up Zelle so that when funds need to go back and forth between him and his family members, no checks need to be sent in the mail (or via expensive FedEx). All of our mail goes through the Houston processing center, which has been under federal investigation for stolen and misdirected mail.

There’s been issues with Zelle I’ve read also though. I won’t do Zelle or Venmo either.

 

[dioxide45]

There’s been issues with Zelle I’ve read also though. I won’t do Zelle or Venmo either.

Zelle has its own set of risks and scams.