Someone could do an electronic funds transfer and take money from your bank account with the bank account number but they would also need the routing number as well.
The fraudster could also order checks with your bank account number and routing number and then write them on you.
It's a very small chance of that happening though.
Hackers or fraudsters cannot do much with your bank account number alone.
However if someone wanted to do so the hacker or fraudster could use your bank account number and routing number to order checks on your account.
Then they could write those checks out and deplete your bank account.
Although that is very rare that it happens that way.
The bank account number and routing number are on checks and we give the bank account number and routing number out to strangers all the time.
It's very low risk that someone would do that to your account.
Other than that it requires actually hacking into your bank account to get any amount of money out of your account.
checks are safe to use as long as you sign the check with your name.
I've used checks for years and nothing bad has happened.
Although there's the possibility of someone forging your name to checks it cannot happen as easily when you write someone a check and sign it yourself.
You do leave a paper trail when cashing a check or even depositing a check.
Cashing or depositing checks does leave a paper trail.
The bank also keeps records of any checks you cashed or deposited and the deposits get legally reported to the IRS.
When you cash a check at your bank the cashed check will be listed on your bank account and the bank will keep records of that cashed check for awhile.
So yes cashing the check does leave a paper trail and whenever you cash enough checks they can also get reported to the IRS.
Cashing checks also leaves an electronic trail and the only way to not have an electronic trail or leave a paper trail when it comes to money is to use cash when possible.