Security is something that we’re focused on around here; a little obsessed about, if you ask some people.  However, we feel that you simply can’t get enough of security, nor should you ever take it for granted, especially when it comes to your personal financial information.  Think of what might happen if someone gained access to your bank accounts or your credit cards for even moments.  With the right information, even the most ham-fisted thief can make a mess of your finances that will take you months to sort out, not to mention the fact that you may never recover money that’s been stolen.  You may not even realize you’ve been compromised until long after it happens.  For example, a common scam is to steal a reorder sheet from your checks when they reach the bank; the thief then hocks that piece of paper to the highest bidder.  They place an order for a new batch using your name and account, but their address.  A month after your information was initially ripped off, a gang is off writing checks to buy whatever they want using your money.  Chances are, you won’t find out about what’s happened until you write one yourself for something minor like a pair of trousers at Marks and Sparks and the extremely miffed manager rings to reprimand you for writing a rubber check for twenty pounds.

 

Here’s one way of protecting yourself from the various types of fraud.  Deal with a company that strictly adheres to, or even better, exceeds recognized security standards.  Your bank may or may not, but it’s not something that they typically advertise.  We’d suggest that you consider an online service the next time you need to order checks.  While you might fancy the much wider variety of printed backgrounds and reasonable cost offered by an alternative to your local bank branch, what matters to us is the high degree of security promoted by these sites.  This can go so far as to include Financial Stationers Association standards, as well as the very aggressive American National Standards Institute (or ANSI).

  Look for a security guarantee and, by all means, read the details; when it’s online, this is all spelled out for you with no need to have a receptionist help you search through brochures.  With adherence to these strict security standards, an online company can supply individualized personal or custom logo business checks with a degree of safety that puts many banks to shame.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :-

 

If you are concerned about the security of your personal and financial information, Check Mate is the authority you should be reading every day.  From forged Checks to stolen credit card numbers and the UK rollout of Chip and PIN technology, Check Mate is on top of it and reporting on how it affects you.  Read the latest series of articles featuring the ongoing transition from brick and mortar banking to Internet-based services, including the increasing popularity of ordering Checks Online instead of through bank branches.