Despite the business community’s rapid adoption of digital payment methods, some companies continue to rely on paper checks. But there’s a long-standing problem with checks: They make businesses vulnerable to several damaging types of fraud, including check kiting. Here’s how the scheme works. Riding the float In a check kiting scheme, the perpetrator takes advantage of the “float,” or the time between when a check is deposited and when the bank collects funds on the check. In essence, a bank that accepts check deposits and releases funds immediately provides account holders with interest-free loans. Some unethical businesses take advantage of this process. Although the total number of days it takes banks to process checks and collect funds has declined in recent years, there’s still opportunity to capitalize on...
