Checks actually “clear” quite quickly nowadays. As in, the money gets pulled from the check writer’s account and made available to the depositor within a day or

Checks actually “clear” quite quickly nowadays. As in, the money gets pulled from the check writer’s account and made available to the depositor within a day or two (notwithstanding whatever the depositor’s bank hold policy happens to be). The problem is, if the transaction proved to be fraudulent (as in the check was written by a fraudster on a random persons bank account) the real account owner can dispute the transaction weeks or months afterwards. This is normally going to be long after the check has nominally “cleared.” Once the check is disputed, the money gets yanked back from the depositor’s account. That’s why personal checks are just a completely unreliable method of payment and should only be used between trusting parties.