Apparently, you shouldn’t abbreviate the year “2020” by just writing “20” on checks and documents. Because if you do, it could open you up to SCAMMERS.
If you write today’s date as “1-6-20,” it’s easy for someone to change the year by adding two more digits at the end.
For example, you could write a check with today’s date on it, and someone could deposit it electronically. Then they could add “21” to the end of the year, so it says, “1-6-2021.” And they could attempt to cash the same check NEXT year.
Here’s another example: Say you signed a contract today for a loan, and wrote “1-6-20” as the date. If you end up missing a payment, the lender could theoretically change the date to “2019”, and claim you owe an extra year’s worth of fees.
Shorthanding the year 2020 on official documents and forms creates an opportunity for scammers, consumer advocates warn. https://t.co/FGoi253lCI
— CNN (@CNN) January 4, 2020