Durbin Meets with Bank of Springfield, Community Bankers Association of Illinois

Durbin Meets with Bank of Springfield, Community Bankers Association of Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Bank of Springfield (BOS) and the Community Bankers Association of Illinois (CBAI) to discuss various ways to support community banks in Illinois, improve our economy, and crack down on the increasing issue of check fraud. In 2023, banks saw a seven percent increase in check fraud on top of the 84 percent spike in 2022.

Check fraud harms everyday consumers and damages the reputations of community banks who truly know their customers. In increasingly sophisticated schemes, thieves and scammers are stealing checks from postal boxes, changing the name of the recipient and the dollar amount on the check, opening fraudulent accounts at a bank, and then hiring someone to deposit the check into the account for them. They also discussed ways to assist consumers during the homebuying process and ways to protect their privacy.

"During today's meeting, I offered my support for Illinois' banks as they continue to prioritize community economic development for our state," said Durbin. "We also discussed the alarming increase in check fraud and the need to protect homebuyers. In Congress, I will continue to support Illinois banks to help our communities thrive."