CLEVELAND, Ohio — Even after nearly $100,000 was stolen by fraudsters who altered checks earlier this year, Cleveland continues to issue most of its payments by paper checks — a practice that government finance experts warn is outdated and vulnerable to fraud.
City spokesperson Tyler Sinclair said City Hall still sends the majority of its payments using paper checks. He said the city is actively working on shifting away from paper and digitizing payments as part of Mayor Justin Bibb’s broader efforts to modernize City Hall.
City officials are also “implementing additional layers of review and reconciliation” to prevent future thefts. Sinclair said these interim measures are more labor-intensive and time-consuming, and that City Hall hopes to automate this process with an electronic payment system…