Ask Consumer Ed for Nov. 14, 2026 Roman Record - Reducing the risk of check and financial fraud

Dear Consumer Ed: Since the front of my personal checks show my bank’s routing number and my bank account number, what’s to stop someone from using that information to have their bills paid through an automatic draft from my account? It doesn’t seem safe to basically give your bank account number to anyone you write a check to. What can I do to make myself safer when it comes to writing checks? kAmkDEC@?8mr@?DF>6C t5 D2JDik^DEC@?8mk^Am kAm*@F 2C6 H:D6 E@ 36 4@?46C?65] sF6 E@ E96 D6?D:E:G6 7:?2?4:2= :?7@C>2E:@? 2 4964< 4@?E2:?D[ HC:E:?8 49646?E:@?[ 2 E9:67 4@F=5 FD6 E9:D :?7@C>2E:@? E@ >2<6 @?=:?6 AFC492D6D[ 4C62E6 4@F?E6C76:E 4964@?6J 7C@> J@FC 244@F?E E@ 2 AC6A2:5 42C5 @C E96 E9:67’D @H? 32?< 244@F?E]k^Am kAmw6C6 2C6 D@>6 H2JD E@ C65F46 E96 C:D< @7 4964< 2?5 7:?2?4:2= 7C2F5ik^Am kAm♦ $E@A FD:?8 A2A6C 4964:E E96:C FD6 2D >F49 2D A@DD:3=6] q6 6IEC6>6=J D6=64E:G6 23@FE H9@> J@F HC:E6 49646[ :? 2 D276 A=246[ H96? J@F 2C6 ?@E FD:?8 :E]k^Am kAm♦ x7 J@F 2C6 >2:=:?8 2 4964<[ 56A@D:E :E :? 2 &$!$ >2:=3@I @C 2E E96 A@DE @77:46] s@ ?@E =62G6 :E :? 2? F?AC@E64E65 >2:=3@I H:E9 E96 7=28 C2:D65[ H96C6 2 DEC2?86C 4@F=5 DE62= :E] x7 J@F 2C6 @C56C:?8 ?6H 49642:=3@I]k^Am kAm♦ p=H2JD C64@?4:=6 J@FC 32?< DE2E6>6?ED H:E9 J@FC 4964<3@@<[ D@ J@F 42? 42E49 2?J F?2FE9@C:K65 492C86D 2?5 C6A@CE E96> E@ J@FC 32?< C:89E 2H2J]k^Am kAm♦ x?DE625 @7 HC:E:?8 49642E:@? 7@C E96 A2J66 W6]8] J@FC 46== A9@?6 AC@G:56C @C E96 A@H6C 4@>A2?JX[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 2>@F?E E@ 36 A2:5 2?5 E96 56D:C65 A2J>6?E 52E6] *@F 42? 6G6? D6E FA C64FCC:?8 A2J>6?ED :7 E96 2>@F?E H:== 36 E96 D2>6 6G6CJ >@?E9] %96 32?< :?:E:2E6D E96 A2J>6?E 3J EC2?D76CC:?8 E96 >@?6J 7C@> J@FC 244@F?E E@ E96 A2J66[ H:E9@FE 6G6C AC@G:5:?8 J@FC C@FE:?8 ?F>36C @C 244@F?E ?F>36C E@ 2?J@?6]k^Am kAm♦ rC65:E 42C5D 2?5 563:E 42C5D 2C6 @E96C 2=E6C?2E:G6D E@ HC:E:?8 49646@?6 86ED 29@=5 @7 J@FC 42C5 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 FD6D :E E@ >2<6 2? F?2FE9@C:K65 EC2?D24E:@?[ J@F 42? 4@?E24E E96 32?< @C 4C65:E 42C5 :DDF6C E@ C6BF6DE 2 492C86324<[ 42?46= E96 4@>AC@>:D65 42C5 2?5 86E 2 C6A=246>6?E 42C5[ H9:49 :D >F49 =6DD @7 2 92DD=6 E92? 92G:?8 E@ 4=@D6 5@H? 2 32?< 244@F?E 2?5 @A6? FA 2 ?6H @?6] x7 564:5:?8 H96E96C E@ A2J G:2 2 4C65:E 42C5 GD] 2 563:E 42C5[ <66A :? >:?5 E92E 4C65:E 42C5D @776C 8C62E6C AC@E64E:@?D 282:?DE 7C2F5[ 2?5[ F?=:<6 563:E 42C5D[ E96 7C2F5F=6?E 492C86WDX H@?’E 5:>:?:D9 E96 2>@F?E @7 >@?6J :? J@FC 32?< 244@F?E]k^Am kAm$F3>:E J@FC @H? BF6DE:@? E@ r@?DF>6C t5 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^4@?DF>6C65]86@C8:2]8@GQm4@?DF>6C65]86@C8:2]8@Gk^2m 2?5 C6>6>36CU96==:Aj E9:D :D ?@E =682= 25G:46] p=H2JD 4@?DF=E 2 =2HJ6C 23@FE =682= :DDF6D]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8mr@?DF>6C t5 H2D 56G6=@A65 3J E96 v6@C8:2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 {2H’D r@?DF>6C !C@E64E:@? s:G:D:@? E@ 65F42E6 4@?DF>6CD 2?5 96=A E96> >2<6 :?7@C>65 564:D:@?D H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 3FJ:?8 2 42C @C 9@>6[ 562=:?8 H:E9 4C65:E 2?5 563E[ >2<:?8 9@>6 C6A2:CD 2?5 :>AC@G6>6?ED[ >2?28:?8 >@?6J[ 2?5 2G@:5:?8 :56?E:EJ E967E 2?5 D42>D] %96 :?7@C>2E:@? 4@?E2:?65 :? E96 A286D @7 E9:D H63D:E6 H:== 96=A J@F 2G@:5 4@>>@? A:E72==D 2?5 H2=< J@F E9C@F89 >2;@C AFC492D6 564:D:@?D D@ E92E J@F 5@?’E 86E @G6CH96=>65 @C >2<6 2 564:D:@? E92E >2J ?@E 36 :? J@FC 36DE :?E6C6DE]k^DEC@?8mk^Am