LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WARNS RESIDENTS OF “CHECK WASHING” ACTIVITY

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the public to recent check fraud or “check washing” complaints.

Check washing is a type of financial crime where a criminal steals a check that has been made out to another party, often from the mail, and uses chemicals or other means to “erase” the ink allowing them to re-draft the check to themselves or another entity. These criminals often use fake names that are not easy to track. The funds are released by the checking account of the individual who wrote the check, but they are not routed to the intended destination, leaving the account holder liable.

More information regarding investigation of the recent check washing complaints received by the Sheriff’s Office and steps that community members can take to protect themselves from this activity is available on the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page