How to Cancel a Check

If you write a check and later regret handing it off to the recipient—say, because you suspect you're the victim of a scam, you entered the wrong amount or you mailed it to an incorrect address—you may be able to cancel it with a stop-payment order, as long as it isn’t being processed yet.

- BY ELLA VINCENT

First, review your account transactions online or call your bank to see whether the recipient has cashed the check. If it hasn’t cleared, act quickly to request a stop payment. You may be able to put in the order by calling your bank’s customer service department, logging into its website or visiting a branch location, says Darius Kingsley, head of consumer banking at Chase.