Beware When Sending Out Cheques
Do You Pay Your Credit Cards Bill Using Cheques?
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Do You Know Your Cheques Detail Can Be Easily Modify?
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Please be aware the risk of sending your cheques via post!
I am sure you normally do this when paying your credit card bills.
There is a syndicate who will intercept and temper your cheque.
Their modus operandi is to get(intercept) your cheque and changed the receiver name and the payable amount. Therefore the syndicate can decide who to bank-in the money too.
You can consider to safeguard the delivery of your cheque by using register post.
If you main mode of credit cards payment is via mailing the cheque then do consider to Cancel the credit cards. Whenever possible select a credit cards company that is located near to your office or home so you can easily pay cash.
Some bank that offer credit card like CitiBank have very limited branches.
Paying your credit card bill via cheque is not cheap as there is a stamp duty and postage to pay. Postage rates has increase as well and has the risk of get lost.
Read more at High Postage Rates Increase | Pos Malaysia
Another alternative is open a saving or Current account at credit cards bank so you can do direct transfer or via Online Banking.
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Check your cheques in the mail
By SHERYL CHIENG
KUALA LUMPUR: Be careful when sending cheques by post. A syndicate is intercepting them and tampering with them, said MCA Complaints Bureau chief Datuk Michael Chong.
He added that the syndicate would erase all writings on a cheque, leaving only the signature.
The amount and the name written on the cheque would be changed so the money would be deposited in another person’s account, he added.
A victim of the scam, who wanted to be identified only as Ong, said she had issued a cheque of RM1,400 to her bank to settle her credit card payment on Aug 6.
However, her bank called her six days later to inform her the payee’s name on the cheque had been changed to one “Choe” followed by an MyKad number.
The bank also informed the 55-year-old manager that the amount on cheque had been changed to RM3,408, which happened to be the exact amount in her account at the time.
“The syndicate was so thorough that even Ong’s name, MyKad number and telephone number written on the back of the cheque had been neatly replaced.
“Attempts to call the newly-written number went unanswered,” Chong told at a press conference at Wisma MCA yesterday.
“Ong was lucky the bank found out in time,” he added. Ong has lodged a police report over the incident.
He believed that most banks were aware of the issue as there had been many complaints.
“Please send cheques through registered post or at least make sure there is some form of safeguard,” he advised.
fr:thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/17/nation/6865821&sec=nation
Thousands of cheques lost due to mail intercepts
By ANDREW SAGAYAM
KUALA LUMPUR: Complaints have surfaced that cheques sent by mail are being intercepted and tampered with, resulting in senders losing money from their current accounts to fraudsters.
So far, MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong has received five such cases involving tens of thousands of ringgit – and this is just the tip of the iceberg. More cases are expected to be revealed soon.
Authorities believe that fraudsters are “hijacking” cheques sent through the mail and altering the instructions written on them – the payee’s name, date and amount – leaving only the signature intact. The authorities do not rule out the possibility of an inside job.
Chong said the people had no idea how easy it was to lose their money this way.
He said those involved were believed to use a high-performance eraser to rub off printed or written words – from ballpoint pen ink to typewriter ribbon ink and other printed alphabets.
“After removing the details and leaving only the signature, the suspects will ‘fill in the blanks,’” he said in an interview here yesterday.
It is also believed that the fraudsters used a computer and scanner to produce “clean” copies of the altered cheques.
“The end result is very good. Even the banks cannot detect the changes. It looks like the cheques were never tampered with,” Chong added.
The public has been advised deposit cheques at banks to prevent them from being intercepted.
Chong said the fraudsters usually used company accounts to cover their tracks.
“Those who intercept cheques can alter them in the comfort of their homes and wait for the money to be banked into their accounts. It is only later when you check your current account do you realise you have lost money,” he said.
Since August, five victims have approached Chong, three of them late last month. The five lost over RM50,000 in total.
City Commercial CID chief Asst Comm Izany Abdul Ghany advised the people to go banks to deposit their cheques.
“Don’t take risks. It’s better to put your cheques into cheque deposit machines in banks. Then, you can get receipts for cheques deposited,” he said.
Association of Banks in Malaysia executive director Chuah Mei Lin said the association hoped to work with Chong and the victims to ascertain the facts.
“In the event employees of our member banks are found to be involved, the association is confident that immediate disciplinary and proper punitive action will be taken,” Chuah said.
She advised account holders to use registered post, a courier service or to deposit cheques at a cheque deposit machine.
Pos Malaysia Bhd chairman Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat said Pos Malaysia viewed the matter very seriously, adding that stern action would be taken against staff caught stealing mail.
“This is a serious case of breach of secrecy. No one can open another person’s mail although by looking at the envelope, you can guess what’s inside. We are still checking if any of our staff are involved. Those caught doing so will be dealt with severely,” he added.
fr:thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/30/nation/7526814&sec=nation
Many ways to ‘wash’ or tamper with cheques
By ISABELLE LAI
PETALING JAYA: Fraudsters can use many ways to “wash” cheques or tamper with them to make fraudulent withdrawals.
A representative from a leading producer of writing, drawing and colouring products said the culprits could use erasers, ethanol or acetone-based chemicals, bleach and other chemicals to “wash” or tamper with the cheques.
Faber Castell marketing manager Andrew Pang, who was asked about the recent wave of “cheque hijacking” complaints, where victims had so far lost a combined total of over RM50,000 to fraudsters, said using a gel pen was the most cost-effective way of preventing “washing” of cheques.
“The gel ink permeates the paper and cannot be erased, whereas the wrong ink technology would easily wash away when such chemicals are used,” he said.
“Gel pens will prevent cheque fraud from the common ways of cheque washing,” he said.
Pang said the company was working with a local private bank to promote usage of the pen, and was in discussions with other local financial institutions as well.
The Star reported yesterday that numerous complaints have surfaced that cheques sent by mail had been intercepted and tampered with, resulting in senders losing money to fraudsters.
The MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said he received five such cases so far.
fr:thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/1/nation/7534384&sec=nation