Is It Safe To Give Your Bank Number?

I know if credit card gets into the wrong hands then unscrupulous person will have control over it and if i will not be able to stop charges i will have to
cancel it. But what possibly could happen if my bank number gets into the wrong hands?
Open a second (or third) bank account and keep the balance low.

I have one main bank account from which I do my serious business. Then I opened a second bank account (with INGdirect, which doesn't demand a minimum balance and offers a full array of internet services). If I use a bank account on the net it's my second account. I keep the balance pretty low. Even if someone abused the second account they wouldn't get much money, if any.

Hi, the operative words here are "Wrong Hands". If you have a checking account, there is no way to protect the bank number since it is printed on every check magnetically so the bank equipment can read it.

99.9% of the time this is no problem. However, there is that small % that will take advantage of any situation. There is actually software that will allow you to create a usable check on your computer using the bank numbers from any check for that matter. You just have to trust that this will not happen to you and if it does, your bank should help you get it straight.

What you want to be careful of doing is paying for something using "pay by check" over the telephone or online, especially with someone you do not know anything about. Obviously the person can send that check through for any amount more than what you authorized.

I actually asked my bank if this was ok to do and they told me that it is about as safe as the trust you have in the person that you give the information to process the check. I make it a policy to not use this method of payment.

Otherwise, we all take a chance with just about anything we do that requires information about us. It can be a scarry world. But, you just can't dwell on it or it will make you crazy. Keep your chin up.