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Think Twice Before Mailing a Check
With fraud on the rise, your paper check may not be safe
The Postal Service doesn’t bar you fromsending checks in the mail, but as mail fraud cases rise, you may want to think twice before doing so.
Last year, banks identified 680,000 reports of check fraud, up from 350,000 in 2021. Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported that about 300,000 mail theft complaints were made in 2021, more than double the complaints in 2020. That’s happening even as the number of paper checks in circulation has declined dramatically, to roughly 3.4 billion checks in 2022.
Bad actors are fishing through the mail in U.S. postal boxes and mailboxes, looking for envelopes that contain bill payments or checks. Once they have the checks in hand, they engage in “check washing,” changing the name of the payee as well as the amount. Some criminals use that information to steal people’s identities and open fake bank accounts.
As a result of all the fraud, banks and the USPS are warning customers to avoid mailing checks, if possible. Otherwise, use a secure mail drop inside your local post office or at your place of business, or hand your mail to the letter carrier. When making out a check, be sure to write out the amount, which makes it more difficult to alter. Use permanent ink and never make checks out to cash. The USPS also urges people to sign up for its Informed Delivery service, which sends you daily emails that preview the mail and packages scheduled to arrive.
Alternatives to mailing checks include using cash transfer apps like Zelle, the online bill payment feature offered by your bank, or a credit card, which has a lot of consumer protections.
3. Fresh fruits and vegetables
You can ship fresh fruits and vegetables if you keep them dry and prevent them from spoiling in transit. But if it can leak, smells bad or will otherwise cause a mess, the post office won’t ship it. You can use dry ice in the packaging to prevent spoiling, but that requires more money and effort to ship.
4. Marijuana
You’re prohibited from sending marijuana through the mail even if it’s legal in your state. Hemp products can be mailed, including CBD if the THC content is 0.3 percent or less.
5. Thermometers
Older-style thermometers, blood pressure gauges and barometers that contain liquid mercury can’t be mailed. They can be damaged or broken in the shipping process, which could put people at risk. Liquid mercury is hazardous and can produce toxic vapors if exposed to the air.
6. Cash
The USPS won’t stop you from mailing cash, but it advises you not to do it. There’s no guarantee the cash will make it to the recipient, and you lose out if it’s lost or stolen in transit.
7. Nail polish
The Postal Service will let you mail nail polish if it’s not flammable and doesn’t pose a safety hazard. The problem is you have to know the flash point — the point at which it can burst into flames. If your package gets flagged, you could face fines. Other rules pertain to packaging the nail polish and how it’s shipped. An easier option is to purchase nail polish online and have it shipped to the recipient through the retailer.
8. Perfume
Perfume, if it contains alcohol, falls into the do-not-mail-by-air or internationally categories. You can ship it domestically using ground transportation, but you have to take care to package it correctly.
9. Fireworks
They may be pretty but you can’t share or sell them via mail. Fireworks pose a safety risk, and as a result, all are prohibited from mailing, including toy caps. Toy model rockets and safety fuses are allowed, but there are restrictions on the amount of propellant they can contain.
10. Handguns
Only licensed manufacturers and gun dealers can mail handguns. Short-barreled rifles and shotguns that can be concealed on the person are also not mailable. You can send unloaded rifles and shotguns but must follow shipping rules.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on August 29, 2023. It has been updated to reflect new information.
