Safe Cheque Handling Basics
Launch library · evergreen read
Although considerably less common than they once were a generation ago, cheques remain in occasional use for some transactions, and a few basic habits genuinely reduce the risk of fraud, including writing amounts clearly and deliberately avoiding gaps that could allow a figure to be altered later.
Never signing a blank cheque under any circumstances, and keeping a cheque book stored genuinely securely rather than left casually in a bag or car where it could easily be lost or stolen, are straightforward but genuinely easy to overlook precautions well worth taking with any remaining cheque book.
Depositing cheques promptly after receiving them, rather than holding onto them for an extended period of time, reduces the overall window in which a cheque could be lost, damaged or become the subject of a genuine dispute over its validity many months down the line.
Keeping a simple record of cheques written, including the exact amount and recipient involved, makes it considerably easier to reconcile your account afterward and quickly notice if something does not genuinely match what you originally expect to see once the very next monthly statement arrives.