N.C. mayors, U.S. treasury tout direct deposit
A handful of North Carolina mayors have jumped on a national effort, encouraging consumers to use direct deposit for paychecks and federal benefits checks.
The mayors of Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Gastonia, Raleigh and Winston-Salem have declared March "Go Direct" month. Their mission: Encourage consumers who get Social Security benefits and other regular checks to swap paper for direct deposit.
This local effort falls in line with a national campaign by the U.S. Treasury, which advocates for direct deposit as a much more secure method of receiving money, especially for older consumers or people with a high risk of falling prey to identity theft or fraud.
As part of its effort, the U.S. Treasury released a survey with some interesting facts about N.C. consumers. Here are some tidbits, by the numbers:
* 35 percent of North Carolinians have experienced identity theft or know someone who has had their identity stolen. That compares to about 40 percent of people on the national level.
* 23 percent of North Carolinians have lost or have had stolen a check, important document or large amount of cash. On a national level, 31 percent of people said they'd had such financial paperwork or money stolen, sometimes by a family member or household resident.
* 34 percent of North Carolinians surveyed worry about losing or having a paper check or other important documents stolen.
* North Carolinians who receive regular payments by paper check tend to be more reckless with their money, the Treasury found. These consumers are more than three times as likely as their counterparts using direct deposit to carry around large amounts of cash.
* Across the board, 20 percent of North Carolina consumers are likely to keep their money somewhere other than a bank account.
* 44 percent of N.C. consumers surveyed thought paper checks are more secure than direct deposit. About 15 percent of N.C. consumers surveyed thought paper checks offered the best protection against identity theft or fraud.
The Treasury surveyed more than 1,000 adults between Oct. 23 and Nov. 12. More than 200 of these adults surveyed lived in North Carolina.
As part of its push, the Treasury is asking consumers to sign up for federal benefits by direct deposit online or by phone, at (800) 333-1795.
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