The pen may be mightier than the sword, but it can also be mightier than the identity thief. If your pen of choice happens to contain pigmented ink such as some of the gel pens found in the uni-ball® or Pilot® collections it's unlikely you'll be a victim of check fraud. The specially formulated ink found in these types of pens absorbs into the paper and permanently stains it to prevent check washing.

If you have seen the film “Catch Me If You Can” or read the autobiography of the same title by identity theft expert Frank Abagnale the process of check washing is pretty clear. After stealing checks from a variety of places such as unsecured mailboxes the thief uses household chemicals to basically erase the contents of the check and replace them with their own information.

With so much information going around regarding identity theft from online credit card transactions, it can be easy to forget that personal and business checks are at risk too. An estimated $815 million lost every year just from check washing according to the National Check Fraud Center.

Preventing check fraud is within your grasp. Here are some helpful tips:

• Be sure that the checks you use are secure and include at least 8 safety features including a true watermark and controlled paper
• Never leave mail in unsecured mailboxes, drop outgoing mail off at the post office or in a locked postal box
• Wrap checks in security envelopes, a card or piece of paper so the check can't be viewed from outside the envelope