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

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

+1
What can they set up to pay (using your funds) that wouldn't immediately flag them?

[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?

Yes, it is a security flaw. But few merchants take electronic checks. That’s why it’s not a major flaw.
But there are many security flaws that are worse.
Paying with credit card is one of them.
If you someone’s credit card number + expiration date + cvv number, you can do a lot of things. Paying with credit card over the phone is even easier.