Fraud Alert: Here's Why You Shouldn't Abbreviate 2020

Police departments around the country are warning citizens in their communities to avoid abbreviating 2020 when they're writing out dates, especially on checks, contracts, and other important legal and financial documents.

Unfortunately, abbreviating the particular year we're in makes it all too easy for fraudsters to change a date. Think about it. You write 1/2/20 on a document you've legitimately signed... with the flick of a pen, the fraudster can change the date to 1/2/2018 to look like you signed it two years earlier. This could have huge implications with a contract, debt settlement, or other legally binding document.

It also works the other way: a bad egg could change the date to 2022. They could bide their time and a couple years from now, you'll be stuck cleaning up a mess that could have been avoided if you'd just added two more digits to the date.

So protect yourself and your assets...get in the habit early this year of writing 2020 when you date and sign checks, or any other financial or legal document of importance.

Don't miss out on important information about scams and fraud that can impact your finances. Subscribe to the MoneyWisdom blog today!