A WOMAN’S bank account was emptied after scammers got their hands on her water bill check.
Virginia resident Natalie Smith’s checking account was drained to $0 after fraudsters were able to alter her $78 water bill check and cash it for $9,800.
The scam is known as check washing, which officials told NBC affiliate WAVY-TV in 2021, involves thieves using common chemicals to wash the ink from personal checks and then rewriting their name and a larger amount.
Smith recalled the heart-stopping moment she realized she had no money left in her Dollar Bank account.
“That check that I made out to the water bill was cashed in Pittsburgh for $9,800,” she told the outlet.
Smith said the check was cashed electronically, and the crooks received the funds immediately.