One topic that we have discussed repeatedly is check fraud. Check fraud is a topic that keeps coming up, and it is no surprise that there are increased incidents of fraud during tax season and the arrival of Covid-19 stimulus checks. Crooks and fraudsters are fishing through the mail, looking for checks and sensitive information. With increased social distancing restrictions, less people are on the streets, providing a prime opportunity for crooks to fish in the mail. The big blue public mailboxes are especially vulnerable to this kind of theft and criminal activity. Fraudsters are looking for utility checks and other bills because these envelopes almost always have checks in them. Crooks are able to ‘wash’ and alter the information on the checks. Perpetrators can even deposit the checks via mobile banking app.

A special thanks to Doris Roof, Senior Fraud specialist from Montecito Bank and Trust. To report a scam, call the District Attorney’s Fraud Hotline at 805-568-2442. The Better Business Bureau urges you to visit their Scam Tracker site at https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/santa-barbara/reportscam or call them directly at 805-963-8657.

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