LINCOLNTON, NC – Lincoln County Sheriff Tim L. Daugherty is partnering with the National Sheriffs’ Association and the U. S. Department of the Treasury’s efforts to promote electronic payment of federal benefits to help prevent financial crime.

Sheriff Daugherty says electronic payments are the safest, easiest way for people to get their federal benefits. In 2007, nearly 60,000 U. S. Treasury-issued paper checks, totaling $56 million, were fraudulently endorsed and more than 700,000 checks were reported lost or stolen. Switching from paper checks to electronic payments is a quick, easy and safe way to prevent theft from the mail or on the street. Electronic payment is also convenient.

The Treasury’s Go Direct campaign targets people receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments by paper check to switch to direct deposit.

The Treasury introduced another program this past spring called Direct Express Debit MasterCard. The card is a prepaid debit card designed to give nearly 4 million check recipients who don’t have bank accounts a safe, easy alternative to paper checks. The card has no sign-up fee, no monthly fees and can be used to make purchases, pay bills and get cash at thousands of locations nationwide.

October is National Crime Prevention Month and this tip will help protect senior citizens and people with disabilities from financial crime.