Crooks appear to be re-creating one family’s checks

SANDUSKY COUNTY, Ohio (WTVG) - A new twist to check fraud is here and it’s something that one family spotted quickly before things got worse.

You might remember that check washing scam we told you about a few months ago. Crooks get a hold of your check, change the amount and cash it for themselves.

Now that twist might be even scarier because this crook doesn’t even appear to need to get a hold of your actual check. It almost looks as if somewhere, someone is actually re-creating this family’s checks.

What she showed the 13abc I-Team is not the check Janice Wasserman wrote by hand and signed in December. Neither was the second one.

But someone issued two checks with those exact check numbers in January with new amounts, new recipients and each were typed. Plus the signature on it was her husband’s.

“When I noticed I said something’s not right here,” said Wasserman.

All four of those checks were cashed. It’s a new twist on check fraud. Someone appears to be re-creating their checks. That looks to be confirmed with problem check number three.

One was hand delivered to local store in January. A bogus, typed out check with the same check number was cashed before the real hand written one was even deposited by that retailer.

“They said we haven’t even deposited the check yet. We still have it. I said hold it. Don’t do anything with it until we get back to you,” said Wasserman.

Wasserman has no idea how someone got their information and is creating these checks. Her diligent review of her checking account spotted the issue. All the money she has lost was returned.

A farm family in Sandusky County would never have imagined thieves would target them. Proof it happens anywhere and to anyone and that everyone must be vigilant.

“This could happen again because we don’t know what happened,” said Wasserman. “We don’t know who did what and how they did it.”

It looks like the person depositing these checks is doing it through mobile banking so no one’s going into any banks.

No one appears to actually have the checks she’s writing and then adding new information because the checks she’s writing in the first place are being cashed, along with the bogus ones.

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