Check washing is the process of erasing details from
checksA cheque, also spelled check , is a negotiable instrument[Although cheques are regulated in most countries as negotiable instruments, in many countries they are not actually negotiable, viz., the payee cannot endorse the cheque in favour of a third party...]
to allow them to be rewritten, usually for
criminalCrime is the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some governing authority, via mechanisms such as police power, may ultimately prescribe a conviction...
purposes such as fraudulent withdrawal from the victim's
bank accountA bank account is a financial account with a banking institution, recording the financial transactions between the customer and the bank and the resulting financial position of the customer with the bank....
.
Various steps can be taken by the writer of the check to reduce the possibility of falling victim to check washing. These include mailing checks by placing them in secured mailboxes, using secure ink dispensed from a gel, rollerball, or
fountainA fountain pen is a nib pen that, unlike its predecessor the dip pen, contains an internal reservoir of water-based liquid ink. From the reservoir, the ink is drawn through a feed to the nib and then to the paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action...
penA pen is a long, thin rounded device used to apply ink to a surface for the purpose of writing, usually paper. There are several different types, including ballpoint, rollerball, fountain, felt-tip. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used. Modern day pens come in a varity of...
, filling in all lines on the check, and careful scrutiny of bank statements.
The actual process of washing a check is relatively simple, and can be accomplished with basic solvents.
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Check washing is the process of erasing details from
checksA cheque, also spelled check , is a negotiable instrument[Although cheques are regulated in most countries as negotiable instruments, in many countries they are not actually negotiable, viz., the payee cannot endorse the cheque in favour of a third party...]
to allow them to be rewritten, usually for
criminalCrime is the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some governing authority, via mechanisms such as police power, may ultimately prescribe a conviction...
purposes such as fraudulent withdrawal from the victim's
bank accountA bank account is a financial account with a banking institution, recording the financial transactions between the customer and the bank and the resulting financial position of the customer with the bank....
.
Various steps can be taken by the writer of the check to reduce the possibility of falling victim to check washing. These include mailing checks by placing them in secured mailboxes, using secure ink dispensed from a gel, rollerball, or
fountainA fountain pen is a nib pen that, unlike its predecessor the dip pen, contains an internal reservoir of water-based liquid ink. From the reservoir, the ink is drawn through a feed to the nib and then to the paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action...
penA pen is a long, thin rounded device used to apply ink to a surface for the purpose of writing, usually paper. There are several different types, including ballpoint, rollerball, fountain, felt-tip. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used. Modern day pens come in a varity of...
, filling in all lines on the check, and careful scrutiny of bank statements.
The actual process of washing a check is relatively simple, and can be accomplished with basic solvents. Among many others, possible solvents include alcohol or nail polish remover. The actual solvent is largely irrelevant — more importantly, the polarity of the solvent is important, and must match the polarity of the dye in the ink. For example, an ink that is mostly made of a polar dye would require a polar solvent (e.g. isopropanol or
acetoneAcetone is the organic compound with the formula OC2. This colorless, mobile, flammable liquid is the simplest example of the ketones. Owing to the fact that acetone is miscible with water it serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for...
). Both nail polish remover (acetone) and isopropanol are able to pull most common inks away from paper in a matter of minutes. Similarly, a non-polar dye would require a non-polar solvent (e.g.
tolueneToluene, also known as methylbenzene, or Toluol, is a clear water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners, reminiscent of the related compound benzene. It is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is widely used as an industrial feedstock and as a solvent...
or a similar hydrocarbon).
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