As we adjust to writing a new year on dates, it must be considered that checks should not be signed without the full intended year.
It’s been cleverly discovered that writing solely “20” provides room for editing at the end, making it possible for a check to be dated for any other year in the 21st century.
Dates can be changed to future years to be cashed again, or past dates so it appears as if payments are delinquent.
As well as checks, this also applies to any legal documents.
According to Norton LifeLock, a cybersecurity software company, signing contracts with the shortened date can give a shady lender the chance to edit it as they please.
If you fall victim to this threat, there are steps to be followed, according to Norton LifeLock:
1. Contact the company
2. Close the account
3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
4. Consider a lock on your credit
Additionally, fully writing out the month should be considered as well.
When writing “1/13/2020,” another one could be added to the month to make the document relevant to November rather than January.
For more information visit https://us.norton.com/.
