SURVEY: Have you or someone you know been the victim of a stolen check scam? The Sun-Times wants to hear from you

A sign warning U.S. Postal Service customers of the potential for mail theft is posted outside the Harwood Heights Post Office, 7101 W. Gunnison St. (Miriam Di Nunzio/Sun-Times)

So far in 2022, more than 17,000 cases of check fraud have been reported in Illinois — compared to 13,000 cases in all of 2021, and 5,360 cases in 2014, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

One major culprit? A stolen check scheme called “check washing,” in which thieves steal checks from United States Postal Service mailboxes and erase the ink using household chemicals. They then rewrite the check to a different person and cash it at an ATM or currency exchange.