Chief Executive Officer
Technology has a way of changing our routines. One example is how we pay our bills. I remember the days of sitting down each month to write checks. Fast forward to today, and I rarely write more than one check a month. Most of my payments are now handled automatically through bank drafts or autopay. Its not just convenient, its a major time-saver. And when life gets hectic, its one less thing I have to worry about.
Kankakee Valley REMC has quite a few members who prefer to pay their monthly bill by check. While were happy to accept their payments, we wish they would consider one of our other payment options. Many assume that paying by check is safer than other methods, but the opposite is true. Mailing a check has become much riskier for a couple of reasons.
The FBI says that check fraud nearly doubled between 2021 and 2023, and criminals get most of those checks by stealing them from mailboxes. They use chemicals to erase the name and the amount before writing much larger checks payable to themselves. By the time you notice a $20 check you wrote turned into a $800 one that someone else wrote, they have your money and bank information that they can use later.
Everyone is aware of the postal service delays. Youve probably seen stories about mail piling up in post offices or noticed that things take longer to get to you. Unfortunately, that slowdown has affected your electric bills getting to you. Then, the members who elect to pay their bills by mailing a check will find that we didnt receive their payment until after the due date. That can mean late fees and even disconnect notices. The members are often upset, but we have no control over mail delivery.
Fortunately, your REMC offers alternatives that are significantly safer, faster, more reliable, and frankly, much easier than writing and mailing checks. The safest are online and phone payment, and the option we get the most good comments about is our automatic bill payment service. Every month, your bill is automatically charged to the card or bank account of your choice. Members tell us they appreciate never worrying about missing the due date.
Learn more about these options on our website or by calling 800-552-2622. Our staff is happy to answer any questions and get you started using one of our convenient bill payment options. That way, you wont have to worry about criminals or late payments.
SOURCES:
advancedfraudsolutions.com/insights/check-fraud/check-fraud-statistics
