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Wednesday, April 15, 2026/Categories: Security, Scams, and Alerts
Mail theft has become one of the most common starting points for check fraud, impacting both businesses and personal banking customers.
Here at Community First Bank (CFB), we’ve prevented a record number of losses tied to mail theft-related fraud. That’s not by chance. It comes from ongoing staff training, a strong focus on customer education, and a close-to-home approach to fraud prevention.
We like to think of it this way. Your bank should feel like a trusted neighbor. Someone who’s paying attention, asking the right questions, and helping keep an eye on your money so you’re not facing these risks on your own.
Even in a digital world, checks are still widely used and they carry valuable information, including:
Bank routing and account numbers
Payee details
Signatures and dollar amounts
Unfortunately, checks are often stolen from places we all rely on every day:
Residential mailboxes
USPS collection boxes
Mail processing and sorting locations
Once a check is intercepted, fraud can happen without anyone ever logging into an account. That’s what makes mail theft especially concerning and why it’s so important to have a bank that’s watching for unusual activity behind the scenes.
When checks fall into the wrong hands, criminals may:
Alter payees or dollar amounts
Create counterfeit checks using real account information
Use stolen checks as part of larger scam schemes
In some cases, fraudsters keep the check amount close to the original to avoid raising suspicion. In others, they increase the amount and move quickly.
These tactics are designed to go unnoticed. That’s why our team at CFB stays alert, looking for activity that simply doesn’t feel right.
Mail systems are outside the control of any one organization. But awareness, both yours and ours, is one of the strongest tools we have.
At CFB, education is a big part of how we protect our customers. We train our team to spot red flags and we work to help you understand where risks exist so issues can be caught early.
Fraud prevention works best when your bank is more than a place to process transactions. It works best when you have a partner who knows you and is looking out for you.
The most effective way to reduce mail-related fraud risk is to remove checks from the process when you can:
Use CFB Online Bill Pay
Take advantage of ACH and electronic payments
Limit mailed checks for routine or recurring payments
Electronic payments are faster, more secure, and easier to monitor. It’s another way we can help safeguard your funds together.
We know there are times when mailing a check is still the best option. When that’s the case:
Use indelible black ink
Mail checks promptly instead of leaving them in your mailbox
Consider sending higher-value payments directly from the post office
Simple habits like these can make a big difference. When combined with CFB’s monitoring, they help reduce opportunities for theft.
Businesses that regularly send or receive checks face a higher level of exposure. That’s where added layers of protection come in.
CFB offers Positive Pay, a fraud prevention tool that allows businesses to:
Review checks before they are paid
Identify items that don’t match the issued check details
Prevent losses even if checks are compromised
When paired with strong awareness and a watchful banking team, Positive Pay has been a key tool in stopping fraud before it impacts your business.
At Community First Bank, fraud prevention is a shared effort, but it’s one we take personally.
Through:
Ongoing staff training
Customer education
Advanced fraud prevention tools
We continue working to strengthen protection against mail theft-related fraud.
If you ever have questions, want to explore safer payment options, or just want a second set of eyes on how you’re handling payments, we’re here for you. That’s what being a community bank is all about. Looking out for you every step of the way.