Thanks to one scam that is becoming more widespread, Texas grandmas ought to open up a Venmo account if they want to send you your $5 of birthday money.

Sure, there's something special about getting a physical check for a special occasion, like hunting for a video on Friday night at Blockbuster. But like Blockbuster, it may be time for mailing checks to go the way of the Dodo. The same goes for paying bills with checks through the mail. 

The United States Postal Service is now warning people that anytime you send a check through the mail you are opening yourself up to potential fraud.

USPS Roll Out Expanded Crime Prevention Measures To Crack Down on Mail Theft, Enhance Employee Safety, and Strengthen Consumer Protections.

Not only are criminals stealing and "washing" checks, but postal workers are at increasing risk of becoming victims to thieves who are looking for checks to steal.

“As crime rises, so do the threats against our public servants. The men and women of the Postal Service are walking our nation’s streets every day to fulfill our mission of delivering mail and packages to the American people.

“We’re doubling down on our efforts to protect our Postal employees and the security of the mail. We are hardening targets – both physical and digital – to make them less desirable to thieves and working with our law enforcement partners to bring perpetrators to justice,” - Postal Inspection Service Chief Gary Barksdale.

How Does The Check Washing Work?

It's pretty simple. If you've ever sent a check in the mail that was cashed, but the recipient said it never arrived? You may be the victim of check washing.

Check-washing scams involve "changing the payee names and often the dollar amounts on checks and fraudulently depositing them. Occasionally, these checks are stolen from mailboxes and washed in chemicals to remove the ink."

Click here for steps you can take steps to protect yourself.