I am surprised how easy it is to pay bills online with an electronic check!

[Anonymous]

Literally all these companies require is a routing number and bank account number. These are clearly printed on any check. How can I be protected? I try to only use paper checks if I absolutely have to, but technically, what stops a criminal from using the info on a check to pay bills online that way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally all these companies require is a routing number and bank account number. These are clearly printed on any check. How can I be protected? I try to only use paper checks if I absolutely have to, but technically, what stops a criminal from using the info on a check to pay bills online that way?

The banking system is pretty robust these days. There's more than just the routing/account # being checked. Your paper checks are probably the least secure way to pay.

[Anonymous]

One thing to know about having your bank mail checks is this. Typically, the bank deducts the money from your account on the date you ask the check to be sent. If the check is not received for some reason, the bank does not refund your money for 6 months. It's much easier to set up electronic payment that is sent/received the next day. You don't run into late fees due to mail delivery and you don't tie up your money when a check gets lost - which has happened to me a few times with large checks.

Also, electronic pay is at least as secure if not more. If someone other than the recipient gets your electronic check and cashes it, you're out of luck. With electronic pay, that doesn't happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally all these companies require is a routing number and bank account number. These are clearly printed on any check. How can I be protected? I try to only use paper checks if I absolutely have to, but technically, what stops a criminal from using the info on a check to pay bills online that way?

What is this, 2001?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Literally all these companies require is a routing number and bank account number. These are clearly printed on any check. How can I be protected? I try to only use paper checks if I absolutely have to, but technically, what stops a criminal from using the info on a check to pay bills online that way?

What is this, 2001?

+1. This is proof that the money and finance forum has some of the dumbest posters on dcum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally all these companies require is a routing number and bank account number. These are clearly printed on any check. How can I be protected? I try to only use paper checks if I absolutely have to, but technically, what stops a criminal from using the info on a check to pay bills online that way?

Not sure but someone did just this with my mother’s account to pay their credit card and power bills a few months ago. Her bank is Truist and they were NOT helpful at all at first.

[Anonymous]

I am the OP and I don't think I may have properly communicated my concern.
I rarely pay with paper checks, but certain vendors still require them. For example, I still pay the landscape guy with a check, most small contractors who occasionally work on my home require a paper check. The paper check has my name, home address, bank routing number and account number.
Whoever has a copy of my check, can now go and pay most of their bills using an electronic check online, which only requires my routing number and account number. Isn't that a major security flaw?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Literally all these companies require is a routing number and bank account number. These are clearly printed on any check. How can I be protected? I try to only use paper checks if I absolutely have to, but technically, what stops a criminal from using the info on a check to pay bills online that way?

Not sure but someone did just this with my mother’s account to pay their credit card and power bills a few months ago. Her bank is Truist and they were NOT helpful at all at first.

You open a second bank account (at another bank) with a small balance and use that to write checks against. Limit the risk.

[Anonymous]

I only do bill pay which is direct. If I have to send a person a check, I'll use Zelle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I don't think I may have properly communicated my concern.
I rarely pay with paper checks, but certain vendors still require them. For example, I still pay the landscape guy with a check, most small contractors who occasionally work on my home require a paper check. The paper check has my name, home address, bank routing number and account number.
Whoever has a copy of my check, can now go and pay most of their bills using an electronic check online, which only requires my routing number and account number. Isn't that a major security flaw?

Either you trust a person providing you a service or you don't. Our landscaper is an honest guy trying to make a living, so I write him a check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I don't think I may have properly communicated my concern.
I rarely pay with paper checks, but certain vendors still require them. For example, I still pay the landscape guy with a check, most small contractors who occasionally work on my home require a paper check. The paper check has my name, home address, bank routing number and account number.
Whoever has a copy of my check, can now go and pay most of their bills using an electronic check online, which only requires my routing number and account number. Isn't that a major security flaw?

I'm pretty sure my bank sends me an alert everytime I use the bank routing number and account number method to pay a bill. Most recently it was for DC property taxes. So at least I would get an alert if, for example, someone in DC tax office were to use my bank routing number and account number to pay for their bill. I guess that's cold comfort. Just keep my fingers crossed that someone won't do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I don't think I may have properly communicated my concern.
I rarely pay with paper checks, but certain vendors still require them. For example, I still pay the landscape guy with a check, most small contractors who occasionally work on my home require a paper check. The paper check has my name, home address, bank routing number and account number.
Whoever has a copy of my check, can now go and pay most of their bills using an electronic check online, which only requires my routing number and account number. Isn't that a major security flaw?

I'm pretty sure my bank sends me an alert everytime I use the bank routing number and account number method to pay a bill. Most recently it was for DC property taxes. So at least I would get an alert if, for example, someone in DC tax office were to use my bank routing number and account number to pay for their bill. I guess that's cold comfort. Just keep my fingers crossed that someone won't do that.

To follow up-- I do like that suggestion to have a separate bank account just for paying these occasional bills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Literally all these companies require is a routing number and bank account number. These are clearly printed on any check. How can I be protected? I try to only use paper checks if I absolutely have to, but technically, what stops a criminal from using the info on a check to pay bills online that way?

Not sure but someone did just this with my mother’s account to pay their credit card and power bills a few months ago. Her bank is Truist and they were NOT helpful at all at first.

You open a second bank account (at another bank) with a small balance and use that to write checks against. Limit the risk.

PP here. My mother's theft was via an electronic check. She doesn't send checks through the mail, in fact she doesn't really write any checks at all. We have no idea how the person got a hold of all her information to be able to pay off this power bill and credit card via electronic check, but Truist approved them.

Asking my almost 80 year old mother to have another bank account to keep small balances and write nonexistent checks wouldn't have prevented this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I don't think I may have properly communicated my concern.
I rarely pay with paper checks, but certain vendors still require them. For example, I still pay the landscape guy with a check, most small contractors who occasionally work on my home require a paper check. The paper check has my name, home address, bank routing number and account number.
Whoever has a copy of my check, can now go and pay most of their bills using an electronic check online, which only requires my routing number and account number. Isn't that a major security flaw?

See if these vendors will take Zelle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I don't think I may have properly communicated my concern.
I rarely pay with paper checks, but certain vendors still require them. For example, I still pay the landscape guy with a check, most small contractors who occasionally work on my home require a paper check. The paper check has my name, home address, bank routing number and account number.
Whoever has a copy of my check, can now go and pay most of their bills using an electronic check online, which only requires my routing number and account number. Isn't that a major security flaw?

How is that remotely possible? Like they are going to pay their taxes with your account?