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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNeither paper checks nor electronic payments are universally safer. A check can be stolen, altered, copied or forged; electronic payments can be exposed to account takeover, unauthorized debits, stolen credentials and scams. The safer choice depends on the payment method, who you are paying, how you authorize it and how quickly you can report a problem. In the United States, legal protections also differ: some consumer electronic transfers are covered by Regulation E, while a check that remains a check may be governed by state law.
What the fraud figures do—and do not—tell you
Check fraud remains a concern, but available survey figures do not establish that an individual check is more or less likely to be lost to fraud than an electronic payment. In its 2026 Risk Officer Report, Federal Reserve Financial Services said it surveyed more than 400 financial-institution risk professionals in the last quarter of 2025. Of the institutions surveyed, 63% reported check-fraud attempts in the prior 12 months, and 32% of respondents noted an increase in counterfeit checks.
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The same survey found that 75% of surveyed institutions saw debit-card fraud attempts and 56% experienced debit-card fraud losses. Debit-card fraud made up 40% of respondents’ total payment-fraud losses. These figures describe institutions’ reports, not the share of consumers or transactions affected. They also do not compare checks with every electronic payment type on a common, transaction-level basis. They cannot be used to calculate your personal odds of losing money by choosing one method over another.
How paper checks can be compromised
A paper check may be stolen in the mail, copied or used without authorization. A fraudster may alter a genuine check’s payee or amount, forge a signature or endorsement, or create a counterfeit check. Check washing is one form of alteration: a scammer uses chemicals to remove or change ink on a genuine check and then rewrites its details.
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The CFPB recommends writing checks with black permanent marker or black gel ink, mailing them at a post office rather than leaving them in a mailbox, retrieving incoming mail frequently and not leaving mail in a mailbox overnight. These steps reduce specific opportunities for theft or alteration, but they cannot guarantee that a check is safe.
Another check-related risk is a fake-check scam. A stranger or scammer may send a check and ask you to return part of the money, pay a fee, buy supplies or purchase gift cards. The check may look like a personal or business check, cashier’s check or money order. A bank may make funds available before discovering that the check is fake, which can take weeks. If the check later bounces, you may have to repay money you sent onward. Do not send money based on a check from someone you do not know; if you are unsure, contact your bank using contact information you already trust. The FTC explains the warning signs in its guide to fake-check scams.
How electronic payments can be compromised
“Electronic payment” covers different systems, and their risks are not identical. A debit card may be used without authorization after card details are stolen. An account may be taken over using compromised credentials. ACH payments can involve unauthorized debits or scams targeting account holders; social engineering and business email compromise can also trick someone into sending money or changing payment instructions. A scam payment that you were manipulated into authorizing is not necessarily treated the same way as a transfer you did not authorize.
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Before paying, consider how the payment is initiated and what information or access it requires. Use a trusted route to confirm a recipient’s account details, particularly if a message asks you to change payment instructions. Do not assume that a payment is safe simply because it is electronic, or that the rules for debit cards also apply to ACH transfers, wires or every bill-payment service.
Which legal protections apply?
For consumers in the United States, Regulation E covers certain electronic fund transfers, including many ACH and debit-card transactions and some electronic bill payments. It excludes certain transfers, including some wire transfers, and generally excludes transfers originated by check. The precise payment and what happened matter; “electronic” alone does not tell you which rules apply. The CFPB’s Regulation E coverage rule and official interpretations describe the categories and exclusions.
There is an important check-to-electronic distinction. If a consumer’s check is used as the source of account information to initiate a one-time electronic fund transfer, the transfer is subject to authorization and notice provisions. But electronic collection, presentment or return of checks through the check-collection system—including transmitting check images—is listed among Regulation E exclusions. A check being handled electronically does not, by itself, establish that it became an EFT covered by Regulation E.
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If a check remained a check, state law may determine your rights and deadlines. The CFPB says a forged check endorsement is generally not the consumer’s responsibility if reported within the period established by state law. Because the result can depend on how the check was processed and where you live, contact your bank or credit union promptly rather than assuming every altered or stolen check has the same remedy. See the CFPB’s guidance on an unauthorized check written on your account and a forged check endorsement.
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For a covered unauthorized EFT involving a lost or stolen debit card or access device, CFPB guidance says notifying your institution within two business days of learning of the loss can limit your liability to no more than the lesser of $50 or the amount of unauthorized transfers before you notify it. Reporting later can increase potential liability. If you do not report an unauthorized transfer within 60 days after the institution sends the statement showing it, you may be liable for later transfers that could have been prevented by timely notice.
Those are situation-dependent rules, not a guarantee that every disputed payment will be refunded. Whether Regulation E applies, whether you authorized the payment, and when you notify the institution all matter. Contact your bank or credit union as soon as you spot a suspicious transfer, follow its dispute process and ask what steps are needed to secure the account. The CFPB explains the timing rules and investigation process in its guide to unauthorized transactions and missing money.
Choose by the payment and the situation
Instead of treating all checks as one risk and all electronic payments as another, compare the specific options available:
Quick Recap
- Exposure: Could the payment be intercepted physically, reveal account details or be initiated through compromised credentials?
- Likely fraud: Is the concern check washing or forgery, card theft, an unauthorized ACH debit, account takeover or an impersonation scam?
- Authorization: Did you initiate the payment and verify the recipient independently, or were you pressured or tricked into sending money or changing instructions?
- Dispute rules: Is this a covered EFT, a check that remains subject to state-law remedies, or another payment type with different rules or contractual terms?
- Reporting and recovery: How quickly can you contact the institution, and could additional payments occur before the account is secured?
- Recipient and context: A routine payment to a known biller is different from an unfamiliar person asking you to return money from a check deposit.
What to do if you suspect fraud
- Contact your bank or credit union immediately. Use the number on your card, statement or the institution’s official website. Report the specific check or transfer and ask how to dispute it.
- Secure the payment method. Ask whether the institution can block further transactions, stop payment on a check, replace a card or account credentials, or take other protective steps. The available options depend on the payment and institution.
- Keep records. Save statements, check images, messages and dates. Note when you first noticed the problem and when you reported it.
- Do not send more money to resolve a suspicious check. In particular, do not refund an unfamiliar sender or pay a fee based on funds that merely appear in your account.
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