Expats looking to nationalize their foreign-plated vehicles are being targeted in a series of scams that have involved fake paperwork, stolen license plates and basic out-and-out theft.

The situation has prompted Aduana (Mexican Customs) to seize the cars of several unsuspecting foreigners in recent weeks.

The con artists have even duped well-established and respected firms in the Lake Chapala area, including insurance brokers TioCorp.

As the country prepares to go on vacation to celebrate Semana Santa, remember the droves of people at public plazas, beaches and other areas is a paradise for enterprising thieves. Crooks do not go on vacation.

Recently, I went to a casa de cambio (money exchange house) in downtown Guadalajara and started to write out a personal check to cash. Before I realized what I was doing, I had written the date and amount in Spanish. The clerk said, “No problem. The U.S. banks accept checks written in Spanish.”

In Mexico, they do too, but not in English or any other language.

At this newspaper we receive a fair amount of checks for deposit each week for advertising. And we come across a lot of mistakes from expat clients who still haven’t quite got the knack of Spanish when writing a check.  With that in mind, here’s a primer on Mexican check no-nos to keep you from having to do it over again.