Because leaving a check with your bank account number on our counter is a good idea..

[Crossbow]

that's why I don't use cheques if at all possible. (and on the three occasions I have needed to use a cheque- in nearly 10 years- I have personally handed it to the person who I was paying. a cheque washer probably wont' be getting hold of it then. (that, and my bank is usually pretty on-the-ball at spotting suspicious transactions)

Actually, now tht I think about it, I can't recall the last time I actually wrote out a check. I still have some expenses that get paid by check, but the bank prints it out and sends it, deducting directly from my account.

[Dreamstalker]

People always did that at my old job. What if i got busy or forgot or there was an error? Wouldn't you want a receipt

I regularly see customers at SCO swipe a debit card, enter their PIN and walk away. Yes, they paid, but hitting "Finish and Pay" kicks the pinpad to the "Cash Back Y/N" screen, during which an observant thief could then get cash from the account and the victim would never notice.

[Jack T. Chance]

This is my general reaction to customers like this...

[justhere]

I lock my car IN MY GARAGE .... call me crazy.

We specifically don't lock our car in our garage since the main thing thieves are looking for are things inside the car; if they've already broken into the garage, at least they aren't also breaking the windows. Three garages were broken into on the next block - two people had their cars unlocked, and while they lost items they didn't have broken windows; the third house had their car doors locked and they lost items and had to replace their car window.

[KellyHabersham]

The check washers are good. I had a piece of outgoing mail stolen--a greeting card with a $5 check. I put it out for collection at 7 AM. By noon it had been washed, made out to some guy for $250 and cashed--at a branch of my bank in a city 100 miles (150 KM) away.

They picked a big branch that would be very busy during lunchtime, and knew that $250 was the limit for having few questions asked. Sure enough, the teller did not notice that not only was the signature in a different handwriting from the rest of the check, but the person signing it had misspelled my name.

I think that happened once when I was the church secretary - someone had written a check to the church, and it must have been stolen from our mailbox, because it got cashed/deposited by someone else.

[cindybubbles]

I've had a friend of mine mail me cash for my birthday. Not a check. CASH.

Granted, it was only $20, but what if someone went through my mail and took it?

[Tama]

Like the mailman...

This has, unfortunately, happened before. I've even seen it on World's Dumbest.

[Dreamstalker]

My grandmother used to mail me cash in birthday/etc cards. I rarely received them when I was in college. One (as I found out later) had $200 in it

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I've had a friend of mine mail me cash for my birthday. Not a check. CASH.

Granted, it was only $20, but what if someone went through my mail and took it?

My Dad used to be bad for that . . . then he got wise after my brother and I reminded him that we've had rashes of mailbox thefts in our 'hood.

He sends a check now whenever our birthdays come around. Cash at Christmas (and that's because we're seeing him in person.)

[Argabarga]

Ocassionaly, someone will put Borough parking tickets through our mailslot. Even though they come in envelopes pre-printed with the MUNICIPAL BULDING address on them.

And, even though they say DO NOT SEND CASH in two places, half the time we get these they have, you guessed it, cash inside.

I'm a good sport and run them over to the Borough when I get the chance, but, really folks..... if they don't get your payment, they will SUSPEND your driver's license, you'd think following the rules would be more than a little wise here...

Who am I kidding? If you couldn't read the NO PARKING signs, what makes me think you'd read the instructions on the envelope about what to put in it and where to send it? Right?

Like the mailman...

This has, unfortunately, happened before. I've even seen it on World's Dumbest.

Infinitely dumb, tampering with the mail is a FEDERAL crime and the Postmaster General's Office has a near perfect conviction record.