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Advanced Fraud Solutions

First in Fraud Defense

  • Who We Work With
        • WHO WE WORK WITH

        • Credit Unions
        • Half of the top 100 credit unions trust Advanced Fraud Solutions to serve as their omnichannel deposit fraud mitigation systems, protecting check, card and ACH.

        • Banks
        • Banks from $100 million to $100 billion rely on Advanced Fraud Solutions for their deposit fraud data, and to help them make real-time decisions on items.

        • Partners
        • Financial services hardware and software providers partner with Advanced Fraud Solutions because of their industry-leading fraud mitigation services and years of experience.

  • Solutions
        • TrueChecks Logo
        • TrueChecks®
        • Despite falling check volume and usage, check fraud continues to rise. Our real-time deposit fraud detection software catches bad checks and reduces losses for banks and credit unions.

        • TrueCards Logo
        • TrueCards®
        • Learn about Advanced Fraud Solutions’ card fraud detection tools that use Dark Web sources to pinpoint at-risk cards in your debit and/or credit portfolio.

        • TrueWire™
        • Learn about our wire fraud detection tools that safeguard wire transactions and streamline payment processing.

        • TrueACH® with Account Validation
        • Learn about Advanced Fraud Solutions’ ACH account validation tool that helps keep financial institutions in compliance and reduces faster payments fraud.

        • AFS Positive Pay Logo
        • Positive Pay by AFS
        • Learn about Advanced Fraud Solutions’ proactive check and ACH payment monitoring tool that helps financial institutions and businesses mitigate vendor and payroll fraud.

  • Insights
    • Check Fraud
          • 2022_Changing Landscape of Check Fraud
          • 2022: Changing Landscape Of Check Fraud

            Check fraud remains a pervasive issue. Banks and credit unions still cite check as a major fraud risk. Even despite a lower volume of checks in circulation, fraud… Download now>>

          • Check Fraud Remains a Significant Threat_300x123
          • Check Fraud Remains a Significant Threat

            Check fraud remains tenaciously persistent. Fraudsters continue to take advantage of access to inexpensive technology, social engineering tactics, and remote business practices to engage in illegal and deceptive check fraud schemes. Read now>>

          • Advanced Fraud Solutions Appoints Jordan Bothwell to Vice President of Strategic Partnerships_300x123
          • Advanced Fraud Solutions Appoints Jordan Bothwell to Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

            Advanced Fraud Solutions announced the appointment of Jordan Bothwell to Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. Jordan joins the position following a decade of experience in fraud prevention and… Read now>>

    • Card Fraud
          • Shedding Light On The Dark Web
          • Shedding Light On The Dark Web

            The Dark Web is home to many of the fraudsters targeting credit unions and banks. In this webinar, hosted by Q6 Cyber and Advanced Fraud Solutions, we will venture into the Dark Web (back by popular demand!) and profile the latest trends in financial fraud and cybercrime. Watch now>>

          • Advanced Fraud Solutions Adds Enhancements To TrueCards Platform
          • Advanced Fraud Solutions Adds Enhancements To TrueCards Platform

            Advanced Fraud Solutions (AFS), a leader in deposit fraud detection software, today announced updates to the TrueCards® platform, AFS’ omnichannel debit and credit card fraud prevention solution. Read more>>

          • Beating BIN Attacks: How To Protect Against Card-Not-Present Fraud
          • Beating BIN Attacks: How To Protect Against Card-Not-Present Fraud

            Card-not-present fraud (CNP) continues to flourish. In fact, there’s been a 25% increase in exposed CNP records, a total of 45 million, since 2019. Download now>>

    • ACH Fraud
      • Protecting ACH Payments_2022
      • Advanced Fraud Solutions Announces New Account Validation Tool to Address Nacha’s WEB Debit Account Validation Rule
      • How Financial Institutions Can Manage ACH Risk_300x123
      • Protecting ACH Payments

        How do financial institutions, who increasingly rely on ACH, safeguard faster payments and stay in compliance with Nacha? AFS’ new report issues related to fraud and compliance have also become top-of-mind for financial institutions.  Download now>>

      • AFS Announces New Account Validation Tool to Address Nacha’s WEB Debit Account Validation Rule

        AFS announced TrueACH® with Account Validation – a new ACH tool that enables financial institutions to confirm account status and authorized user(s). TrueACH with Account Validation was developed in response to Nacha’s WEB Debit Account Validation Rule, which requires financial institutions to apply a “commercially reasonable… Read more>>

      • How Financial Institutions Can Manage ACH Risk

        Financial institutions increasingly rely on the ACH Network to facilitate transactions. With that comes a responsibility to manage ACH risk, including helping to prevent fraudulent payments and mitigate any potential losses. Read more>>

    • Positive Pay
      • Fighting Fraud: How To Secure Business Accounts Against The Latest Fraud Tactics, Threats
      • Advanced Fraud Solutions Announces New Positive Pay Solution To Help Financial Institutions Fight Vendor Fraud
      • Looking Out For Payroll And Vendor Fraud: A Financial Institution's Guide
      • Fighting Fraud: How To Secure Business Accounts Against The Latest Fraud Tactics, Threats

        Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, fraud operators have capitalized on the behavioral shifts of workers and consumers, as well as the migration of payments online and the massive increase in PPP loans, stimulus checks, and expansion of unemployment benefits. Watch now>>

      • Advanced Fraud Solutions Announces New Positive Pay Solution To Help Financial Institutions Fight Vendor Fraud

        Advanced Fraud Solutions (AFS), a leading provider of deposit fraud detection software, today announced the launch of AFS Positive Pay – a positive pay solution designed so that financial institutions, and their enterprise customers, can proactively monitor changes in payments information. Read now>>

      • Looking Out For Payroll And Vendor Fraud: A Financial Institution’s Guide

        A financial institution’s guide to protecting business accounts from payment tampering, redirection, and business e-mail compromise. Download Now>>

    • Consumer Scams
      • Beware Of Mobile Deposit Scams
      • Romance Scams On The Rise: How Fraud Operators Exploit The Rise Of Online Dating In A Socially-Distant World
      • Four Dangerous Stimulus Scams
      • Beware Of Mobile Deposit Scams

        According to the FBI, there has been a 50% surge in mobile banking since the beginning of 2020. Download now>>

      • Romance Scams On The Rise: How Fraud Operators Exploit The Rise Of Online Dating In A Socially-Distant World

        The rise in online dating sites, coupled with the onset of social distancing in 2020, have helped make personal loneliness a target for virtual con artists. Download now>>

      • Four Dangerous Stimulus Scams

        Reports of stimulus payment-related fraud have sharply increased following the passage of the second stimulus package. Read now>>

    • Business Banking
      • Looking Out For Payroll And Vendor Fraud: A Financial Institution’s Guide
      • Protecting Business Accounts Against Fraud
      • How Banks And Credit Unions Can Build A Culture To Fight Fraud
      • Looking Out For Payroll And Vendor Fraud: A Financial Institution’s Guide

        A financial institution’s guide to protecting business accounts from payment tampering, redirection, and business e-mail compromise. Download Now>>

      • Protect Business Accounts Against Fraud

        For businesses, trust in their financial institution is paramount. But with so many businesses under attack from fraud operators, where do they turn? In this webinar, the AFS fraud experts explore the latest fraud tactics — including BEC, vendor and payroll fraud — being deployed against businesses… Watch now>>

      • How Banks And Credit Unions Can Build A Culture To Fight Fraud

        Among all the things we train our customers on here at AFS, teaching them the tips and tricks of catching deposit fraud is one of the most important. Read now>>

    • Webinars
      • ACH Payments: Preventing Fraud, Addressing Compliance

        Join AFS experts as they discuss the latest threats to faster payments; how to best safeguard ACH transitions; and what measures banks and credit unions can take to meet Nacha’s account validation requirements. Download Now>>

      • Protect Business Accounts Against Fraud

        In this webinar, the fraud experts at Advanced Fraud Solutions will explore the latest fraud tactics — including business email compromise, vendor and payroll fraud — being deployed against businesses and what financial institutions can do to help businesses proactively identify fraud, mitigate their losses and protect mobile deposits. Download Now>>

      • AFS Presents: Check Fraud Prevention 2021

        Fake check scams cases spiked in 2020. Fraud operators spied opportunities to accelerate their attacks and profit off of romance scams, secret shopper scams, unemployment scams and other fraud schemes. Download now>>

    • White Papers
      • The Changing Landscape Of Check Fraud

        In 2020, check fraud was down, due in part to branch closings and the migration to digital payment methods. Download now>>

      • Beating BIN Attacks: How To Protect Against Card-Not-Present Fraud

        Card-not-present fraud (CNP) continues to flourish. In fact, there’s been a 25% increase in exposed CNP records, a total of 45 million, since 2019. Download now>>

      • Protecting ACH Payments

        How do financial institutions, who increasingly rely on ACH, safeguard faster payments and stay in compliance with Nacha? AFS’ new report issues related to fraud and compliance have also become top-of-mind for financial institutions.  Download now>>

  • About AFS
        • OUR COMPANY

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  • Schedule a Demo
The Alarming Rise of Check Washing Scams 

The Alarming Rise of Check Washing Scams 

Check washing scams are experiencing a frightening resurgence. Across the country, fraudsters are stealing checks and altering them to steal large sums of money. The number of reported cases in 2022 reached 680,000, nearly double the previous year, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. 

Recent Surge in Check Washing Scams 

  • U.S. Treasury Department Warning: Despite fewer people using paper checks, the U.S. Treasury Department has issued a warning about a surge in check-washing scams. 
  • USPIS Recovery: The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) recovers over $1 billion in counterfeit checks and money orders each year. 

How Check Washing Thieves Operate  

Check washing is an old but effective trick. Thieves steal checks, even attacking letter carriers for keys, then use chemicals to alter the checks. Even depositing checks in bank branch boxes carries some amount of risk. 

The rise of check washing schemes could also be due to the fact that check washing is a relatively easy process to learn an implement, especially as new technology and online tutorials proliferate.  

How Financial Institutions Can Prevent Falling Victim to Check Washing Schemes 

Employee Training: Providing regular training sessions to employees to recognize signs of check washing.  

  • This includes identifying subtle inconsistencies in checks, such as mismatched ink or irregular handwriting. 
  • FI employees should especially watch for data fields that are misaligned.  For example, specialized image analysis technologies look for a MICR line that’s out of alignment which often indicates that a cut-and-paste has occurred.  

Account Holder Education: Creating awareness among account holders, especially business account holders, about check washing and sharing tips on how to prevent it.  

  • For example, the USPS recommends only dropping mail in blue boxes during pickup hours. 

Positive Pay Services: Pre-authorization and Matching 

  • Pre-authorization of Checks: With Positive Pay, businesses provide a list of checks authorized for payment. Any check presented that doesn’t match the list is flagged, substantially reducing the risk of altered checks being cashed. 
  • Customized Matching Criteria: Allowing businesses to set specific matching criteria, such as amounts or payee names, for an even more tailored defense against check washing. 

Positive Pay by AFS protects business account holders from falling victim to check washing schemes 

  • Payee Issue File: Businesses can create a payee issue file to cross-verify checks against potential forgeries. Cross-verification of the payee, amount, and date on checks is a vital method to combat check washing. It adds a security layer, making alterations by fraudsters more challenging. 
  • Automated Verification: Automated processing that matches checks against a pre-determined list, preventing unauthorized transactions. 
  • Customization: Decision rules can be created and tailored by business clients to enhance the user experience and minimize manual effort. 

In an era where the rise of check-washing scams is becoming alarmingly more frequent, financial institutions must be equipped with innovative tools and strategies to combat these crimes. Positive Pay by AFS is a powerful measure that can thwart potential fraudulent activities before they cause harm.

If you are part of a financial institution looking to explore this dynamic solution, we are offering demos and specialized fraud consultations. Don’t allow the growing threat of check washing to undermine your clients’ trust.

Protect Your Account Holders from Check Fraud: Discover Positive Pay

Financial institutions must stay ahead of rising check fraud. Schedule your free consultation today to discover how Positive Pay by AFS can fortify your defenses. Act now for a secure tomorrow.

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Learn how our powerful fraud prevention tools mitigate losses from check, card, or online banking transactions for banks and credit unions nationwide.

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  • Who We Work With
    • Credit Unions
    • Banks
    • Partners
  • Solutions
    • TrueChecks®
    • TrueCards®
    • Positive Pay by AFS
    • TrueACH® with Account Validation
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    • White Papers
    • Webinars
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