After years of writing checks and signing documents, many of us have gotten into the habit of abbreviating the date. Now that we’ve reached the year 2020, it is the time to break that habit. Shortening the year from 2020 to just ‘20 could leave you vulnerable to scammers who want to forge your important documents. A scammer can simply change your ‘20 to any year they’d like, whether that be in the past or the future.
For instance, say you chose to write a check with the date 5/1/20, but the check was never cashed. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, a scammer could easily change that date to 5/1/2021 and attempt to cash that check fraudulently next year.
It may be a simple act, but writing the date in full could be a very simple way to protect you and your family. Take an extra moment and ensure you are signing all of your important documents with the full date.
If you’d like to learn more ways to protect yourself and your family from financial fraud, visit our Account Security page for some great information.
