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Article: Check washing is a dirty business: Check thieves have literally been washing checks and rewriting them--sometimes stealing IDs as well. But banks are fighting back. (Financial Services).
- Article from:
- Security Management
- Article date:
- February 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 American Society for Industrial Security. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Southwest United States evokes numerous images: the desert ecosystem, spicy foods, Native American culture, the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, this region is also becoming well known for mail theft. Mail is stolen for the checks to be found inside payment envelopes and birthday cards. Often, the thieves are users of methamphetamine, a synthetic psychostimulant that produces mood-altering effects. These thieves then use the checks to get cash from unsuspecting checkholders' accounts. Understanding their methods is the first step toward curtailing this multimillion dollar crime.
Mail theft occurs nationwide through a variety of means, but serious criminals axe ...