At a recent Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn held at Shirkey Golf Course Community Bank of Missouri Compliance Officer Courtanie Woods and Community Bank of Missouri Customer Service Representative Erin Wyse taught attendees how to avoid scams at the office and at home. Woods started the presentation by explaining that check-washing fraud is a form of financial crime that poses a significant threat to businesses right here in our community. Check washing occurs when a stolen check has the ink removed with chemicals and is then rewritten to a different payee usually for a higher amount. Most checks are stolen from the mail. Mail theft is becoming more prevalent as thieves are targeting postal workers for their master keys according to Woods. A master key enables postal carriers to access various types of collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units and apartment panels. In the United States this master key is standardized meaning it can operate multiple…