It's a lot more straightforward when a fraudulent check is cashed that you didn't sign. the issue with check washing is that - your signature stays on the check so it looks like you authorized it.

I had this happen to me a few months ago unfortunately, but I was able to get my money refunded by my bank. I had to file a police report and a bunch of written statements swearing that although that was my signature on the check, that wasn't who I wrote the check to, or the amount it was written for.

From what the bank told me: when a check is cashed, that bank tells my bank to hand over the money to pay the person depositing it. When I filed for fraud, my bank tells the other bank to return the money because that was a bad check. That bank then has to investigate and come to the conclusion that it was in fact fraud, return the money to my bank, which can then return it to me. I was quoted 60-90 days. I had my money back the next day.