Florida AG raises alarm on 'check cooking' after Tampa arrest

TAMPA, Fla. - Crooks are using technology to get a hand on your hard-earned money. 

It’s called "check cooking" and Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a consumer alert Tuesday to warn Floridians about the dangers after a Tampa man was arrested for doing it.

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In Hillsborough County, the man was charged with trying to steal more than $50,000 by altering information on checks, like names and amounts, and cashing them in. But these types of crimes aren’t uncommon, as Attorney General Moody warned Tuesday.

This Tampa man was arrested for stealing over $50,000 from victims.

"Check cooking involves fraudsters taking photos of stolen checks and using digital tools to alter information such as the name and the amount," Moody said. 

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FOX 13 spoke with a Tampa attorney, who not only works with victims of the schemes but was a victim himself.

"We’ve had someone who got a hold of a real check from my law firm, manipulate that check, and make fake checks, and they’ve been trying to cash them, unsuccessfully," said Brian Shrader of Shrader, Mendez & O’Connell Attorneys At Law. "The first two checks were for $20,000 each… yesterday we had 15 checks for $115 each, but whoever is doing this is not being successful because of a system [with the bank], but had I not had this in place we would be out $60,000 just in the last few months."

Shrader says he is enrolled in a ‘positive pay system’ with his bank, meaning any check the bank gets has to be cleared by him. He gets an image of the check to approve and verify. 

The Attorney General had a few tips so that you can avoid these schemes: empty your mailbox regularly, monitor your bank and financial statements often, research delays in mailed checks, and consider electronic or E-checks versus a physical check.

As technology becomes smarter and more prevalent, unfortunately, so do these crimes, so it’s always good to double-check.