OPINION

Helpful Hints

DEAR HELOISE: I went into a bookstore this past week and discovered they no longer accept checks. I asked the clerk why, and she told me that she didn't know. But the company policy was that you had to pay with a credit card or a debit card. Now, a number of stores I used to shop at are doing the same thing. What's going on?

-- Lindsey H.,

Detroit

DEAR READER: Sadly, there are crooks out in the world who have made checking accounts susceptible to a new type of fraud, called "check washing." Thieves remove the name of the person the check is made out to and the amount, using bleach or acetone (nail polish remover), but they leave the signature at the bottom intact.

After the check has had time to dry completely, the thieves cash them in at banks or check-cashing services. People who stole stimulus checks or unemployment checks during the pandemic are now looking for other sources to steal from, which means we are all at risk when we write a check.

There are things you can do to protect yourself: Write checks with a gel ink pen in non-erasable blue or black ink. Have your mail delivered to your local post office rather than your home. Keep an eye on your bank account. (I check my own nearly every day.) Don't let mail sit in your mailbox. Retrieve your mail every day. If you're going out of town, have a trusted neighbor collect your mail. And, finally, use a debit card to pay for things.

DEAR HELOISE: When I send checks to various charities, they always seem to send me little gifts such as Christmas cards or greeting cards. I can't bring myself to throw these lovely gifts away, but I can't use them because I buy personal cards for friends and family. Do you know where I can send these as a donation?

-- Helga A.,

Portland, Oregon

DEAR READER: First, call a nursing home or an assisted living facility and see if they would like them for their residents.

There are also long-term care facilities where the patients can't get out to shop. They might enjoy writing to friends or family.

You can also put them in a garage sale or donate them to a thrift shop. There are many charities that have thrift shops and use the funds they receive to help others.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email

[email protected]

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