Cashiers Check

notwilight · February 27, 2012 7:15AM

Today I received a cashiers check from a Chicago bank, from a guy supposedly in Wisconsin, postmarked in Minnesota. It was in an old tattered preprinted legal size envelope from a business in a small town in Wisconsin. The check was wrinkled and stained on the back with what looks like mud. There was no branch info or even address on the check, just the bank name. It had a signature that printed with the check (not original) and when I hold it up to the light it does have a watermark, just diagonal lines criss-crossing. The check amount is about $2k.

What should I do? (or what do you think I did)

--Jerry

commoncents05 · February 27, 2012 7:16AM

I would try calling the bank.

-Paul

WTCG · February 27, 2012 7:20AM

Make sure the check has a legitimate routing number. Deposit the check and wait until the funds clear with absolute certainty.

Ahrensdad · February 27, 2012 7:21AM

<< I would try calling the bank.

-Paul >>

wayneherndon · February 27, 2012 7:23AM

Agree with above. A common fraud is to buy blank check stock (so that it has watermarks and security features present) and the print on a laser printer to look like a cashiers check.

BAJJERFAN · February 27, 2012 7:25AM

can you present it to your bank "for collection" and not for deposit?

fastfreddie · February 27, 2012 7:26AM

There should not be cashier's checks anymore. If it's a bank check then it should be called an "Official Bank Check" drawn on the banks own account. Deposit and wait for your bank to tell you it's no good. This is a big red flag.

BillJones · February 27, 2012 7:32AM

<< I would try calling the bank.

-Paul >>

I agree. If you deposit it at your bank and it bouces, it could cost you as much as $25.

19Lyds · February 27, 2012 7:36AM

In the past, I received a Cashiers Checkl that even had micro printing however, when we inquired at the bank, the tellers knew immediately that it was a counterfeit.

Call your bank Jerry!

jesbroken · February 27, 2012 7:40AM

Several years ago, my company got into a large fiasco over a cashiers check as we thought that was a guaranteed no hassle form of payment. It turned out the customer could still cause the check to be denied due to stopping the validity of the check through his/her issuing bank. They did this trying to get an additional discount of free warranty. It took three months via our lawyers to regain our funds. Never again did we take a cashier's check.
Jim

bronco2078 · February 27, 2012 8:07AM

My brother almost got scammed on some craigslist deal with a fake cashiers check. Somehow his wife bought into a phony secret shopper scam and was given a fake $5000 check to deposit. They wanted them to go to a list of different stores and buy various items with the money. He was to fill out the report and he was supposed to keep the items for his trouble.

The end game was for him to check western unions customer service by sending 3 $999 money transfers to somewhere in canada.

He had deposited it before I heard about it and after 7 days they were actually going to go through with it. I told him it was a scam don't spend the money and go to your bank and tell them you think it is a fake check. It actually took over a month to bounce . The scammers knew it would initially pass because they very confidently told him to wait 7 days before starting to spend any money. That part was what actually made him think it was legit ,

The upshot is cashiers checks are usually fake now , they will initially clear then you get hit with a clawback a month later ,probably after spending the money . There is some law stating banks have to clear these checks within 7 days but you are not protected in any way by that and are still responsible for it when it bounces.

It could be real but you have to wait a long time to be sure . Talk to someone at the bank about it. If its fake they might want to pay a visit to the sender so don't spook him because he may be running the scam on others .

SaorAlba · February 27, 2012 9:04AM

No bank address or phone number? That would send the red banners fluttering wildly in the winds. No shippy the goodies until you have a cleared payment.

LindeDad · February 27, 2012 9:24AM

I would contact these guys.......FBI

AUandAG · February 27, 2012 9:30AM

Just send it back and require Paypal.

bob

BryceM · February 27, 2012 9:34AM

Really, is there any question here? From your OP it sounds like you already know the answer.

Percent chance of fraud, 98%
Percent chance of a legitimate transaction, 1%

I'd get the bank and then maybe the cops in play.

OnlyGoldIsMoney · February 27, 2012 9:47AM

<< What should I do? (or what do you think I did)

--Jerry >>

You cancelled the sale seems to be the correct answer.

The average flag pole could not contain all the red flags this situation presents.

RYK · February 27, 2012 9:52AM

<< Today I received a cashiers check from a Chicago bank, from a guy supposedly in Wisconsin, postmarked in Minnesota. It was in an old tattered preprinted legal size envelope from a business in a small town in Wisconsin. The check was wrinkled and stained on the back with what looks like mud. There was no branch info or even address on the check, just the bank name. It had a signature that printed with the check (not original) and when I hold it up to the light it does have a watermark, just diagonal lines criss-crossing. The check amount is about $2k.

What should I do? (or what do you think I did)

--Jerry >>

Return it.

291fifth · February 27, 2012 10:13AM

<< 

<< Today I received a cashiers check from a Chicago bank, from a guy supposedly in Wisconsin, postmarked in Minnesota. It was in an old tattered preprinted legal size envelope from a business in a small town in Wisconsin. The check was wrinkled and stained on the back with what looks like mud. There was no branch info or even address on the check, just the bank name. It had a signature that printed with the check (not original) and when I hold it up to the light it does have a watermark, just diagonal lines criss-crossing. The check amount is about $2k.

What should I do? (or what do you think I did)

--Jerry >>

Return it. >>

HKstrongside · February 27, 2012 11:11AM

I'd say contact the bank first. If it is bogus, get the authorities involved and get that hoser off the street.

NPD1078 · February 27, 2012 11:20AM

Call the Bank- If they say it's lagit then try to cash it oe deposit it. Then wait at least 15 days before sending any items to see if the check gets returned. It takes the bank at least that long to find out that it's not a lagit check...
Good luck!

RGJohn · February 27, 2012 11:33AM

Sounds a bit too 'iffy' for me Jerry.

Retain it, send it back, whatever, but do not ship.
Whatever it is, it ain't kosher.

myth · February 27, 2012 11:42AM

if fake ...
you could be found as committing fraud
i would contact bank and authorities

segoja · February 27, 2012 11:50AM

Myth,

Help my understand your comments???

So I take a bad check and I'm committing fraud??? That makes no sense what so ever.

If I know it's bad and someone can prove it, then that's different.

shorecoll · February 27, 2012 12:25PM

If you deposit it, spend all the money and can't pay it back...it is fraud.

I would have your bank call the bank the check is issued from. They should have a directory containing the official contact number for the bank the check is drawn on. They can also match the routing number to the official routing number in the directory. One of the most common scams in to use one bank's name and another's RN...it can bounce back and forth a dozen times before someone figures it out.

notwilight · February 27, 2012 12:36PM

Here is what I did. I googled the bank and found hundreds of branches in Chicago. So I googled the bank and his town from the return address. Called the first branch that showed up. I told them I had a cashiers check I wanted to verify, that I had no reason to believe it was bad. She asked me the customer name, the check number, and asked my name. She didn't comment at all to each of my answers but then confirmed the check was real and good. I thanked her and and she thanked me and said you can never be too careful. The bank uses the same checks in all their branches, thus no address.

As for the mud on the check, I've lived in Chicago in the winter and know what a struggle it can be in winter weather to get in and out of your car in bad weather with your hands full. And apparently mail from parts of Wisconsin are being routed through St Paul.

The point of this thread is that everything doesn't always look perfect in perfectly legitimate transactions and a call to a bank can make everything fine.

--Jerry

coindeuce · February 27, 2012 1:02PM

I would have specified that I needed that bank representative's statement in writing about the specifics of the check to be notarized and mailed overnight to me, before I presented the check for collection.

notwilight · February 27, 2012 1:04PM

<< I would have specified that I needed that bank representative's statement in writing about the specifics of the check to be notarized and mailed overnight to me, before I presented the check for collection. >>

Some people just aren't cut out to be coins dealers. --Jerry

coindeuce · February 27, 2012 1:11PM

<< 

<< I would have specified that I needed that bank representative's statement in writing about the specifics of the check to be notarized and mailed overnight to me, before I presented the check for collection. >>

Some people just aren't cut out to be coins dealers. --Jerry >>

And many more aren't cut out to be truthful bankers.

MsMorrisine · February 27, 2012 1:11PM

<< Make sure the check has a legitimate routing number. Deposit the check and wait until the funds clear with absolute certainty. >>

Larry Shapiro's checks had valid routing numbers and account numbers. That's because the person was forging bad check off good accounts that did not belong to him.

So:

Just because the account and routing info are valid does not mean the check is good.

I'd call that bank.

But, I guess you could still check the routing number just in case.

enter the routing number here

Dan769 · February 27, 2012 1:12PM

check the ABA number here:

link

lordmarcovan · February 27, 2012 4:48PM

Remember this one, anybody?

The victim was my cousin.

notwilight · February 27, 2012 10:02PM

<< 

<< 

<< I would have specified that I needed that bank representative's statement in writing about the specifics of the check to be notarized and mailed overnight to me, before I presented the check for collection. >>

Some people just aren't cut out to be coins dealers. --Jerry >>

And many more aren't cut out to be truthful bankers.

>>

Why would a banker have any reason to not tell me the truth?

What I meant above if that it would be hard to complete enough transactions to keep afloat if you have to have notarized evidence that every payment you receive is good. --Jerry

notwilight · February 27, 2012 10:14PM

<< Remember this one, anybody?

The victim was my cousin. >>

Wow. No I hadn't seen that one. I wonder if it would have been different if he had approached it as I did, told the story that he received it from a buyer and wanted to verify it was real before he cashed it, if things would have been different. Instead he asked if there were funds to cover it, which is what a scammer would want to know. did he ever get BofA to cover his legal fees? They should just for publicity if nothing else. We could start a twitter campaign to get it them to pay.

I am certainly aware of fake cashiers checks and that is why I checked. That is why I called his bank rather than mine. I don't trust my bank to ask the right questions. They might just verify there were adequate funds as opposed to verifying that the buyer had actually requested the check. --Jerry

lordmarcovan · February 28, 2012 12:28AM

My cousin Matt was briefly on the national stage when radio and TV personality Clark Howard took up his cause. Seeing him champion my cousin and do battle with BoA on his behalf was epic. I think thousands took up the banner. It was quite the PR debacle for BoA, I believe. I'd always liked Clark Howard and disliked BoA before the incident, so all that only solidified my opinion.

BAJJERFAN · February 28, 2012 12:43AM

Is there a difference between presenting a check for collection and presenting it for deposit?

myth · February 28, 2012 12:44AM

<< Myth,

Help my understand your comments???

So I take a bad check and I'm committing fraud??? That makes no sense what so ever.

If I know it's bad and someone can prove it, then that's different. >>

Sorry, the fraud could happen in different ways ... look here

golden · February 28, 2012 1:31AM

Danger, Danger Will Robinson!

derryb · February 28, 2012 1:33AM

If you accept them be prepared to accept the risk.

coindeuce · February 28, 2012 2:23AM

<< 

<< 

<< 

<< I would have specified that I needed that bank representative's statement in writing about the specifics of the check to be notarized and mailed overnight to me, before I presented the check for collection. >>

Some people just aren't cut out to be coins dealers. --Jerry >>

And many more aren't cut out to be truthful bankers.

>>

Why would a banker have any reason to not tell me the truth?

What I meant above if that it would be hard to complete enough transactions to keep afloat if you have to have notarized evidence that every payment you receive is good. --Jerry >>

If you haven't already discovered that there are a lot of unqualified people in the banking business, then my point is completely useless to you. Have fun with that piece of paper.

notwilight · February 28, 2012 2:54AM

<< 

<< 

<< 

<< 

<< I would have specified that I needed that bank representative's statement in writing about the specifics of the check to be notarized and mailed overnight to me, before I presented the check for collection. >>

Some people just aren't cut out to be coins dealers. --Jerry >>

And many more aren't cut out to be truthful bankers.

>>

Why would a banker have any reason to not tell me the truth? What I meant above if that it would be hard to complete enough transactions to keep afloat if you have to have notarized evidence that every payment you receive is good. --Jerry >>

If you haven't already discovered that there are a lot of unqualified people in the banking business, then my point is completely useless to you. Have fun with that piece of paper.

>>

Bankers don't have medical degrees or physics degrees because then they'd be surgeons and nuclear physicists instead of bankers. But if you contact the right people and ask the right questions, you can help them be successful. One of the things that has helped me through life is helping others be successful rather than taking the adversarial position and making them prove it to me. If a bank would agree to send you what you asked for, then I'd say that customers like you are what keeps banking fees so high. --Jerry

derryb · February 28, 2012 3:34AM

Banking has become a very competitive business. Customer service is about the only thing left that can set one apart from the others.

coindeuce · February 28, 2012 4:47AM

"Bankers don't have medical degrees or physics degrees because then they'd be surgeons and nuclear physicists instead of bankers. But if you contact the right people and ask the right questions, you can help them be successful. One of the things that has helped me through life is helping others be successful rather than taking the adversarial position and making them prove it to me. If a bank would agree to send you what you asked for, then I'd say that customers like you are what keeps banking fees so high. --Jerry"

So since you don't accept all of the opinions you voluntarily came here to solicit, then that makes us the "wrong" people? It is obvious you already had your choice made about the validity of the check, based on the info you posted. What was your point in bringing your solicitation for opinions if you really didn't want them?

MsMorrisine · February 28, 2012 5:16AM

that people will jump to conclusions

notwilight · February 28, 2012 5:38AM

<< "Bankers don't have medical degrees or physics degrees because then they'd be surgeons and nuclear physicists instead of bankers. But if you contact the right people and ask the right questions, you can help them be successful. One of the things that has helped me through life is helping others be successful rather than taking the adversarial position and making them prove it to me. If a bank would agree to send you what you asked for, then I'd say that customers like you are what keeps banking fees so high. --Jerry" So since you don't accept all of the opinions you voluntarily came here to solicit, then that makes us the "wrong" people? It is obvious you already had your choice made about the validity of the check, based on the info you posted. What was your point in bringing your solicitation for opinions if you really didn't want them? >>

Yes, I already had my answer before I made the post. I thought it was a good learning experience to share. Sometimes people around here jump to conclusions and I wanted to show that a little due diligence can avoid a lot of hassle. --Jerry

Cakes · February 28, 2012 5:59AM

<< 

<< "Bankers don't have medical degrees or physics degrees because then they'd be surgeons and nuclear physicists instead of bankers. But if you contact the right people and ask the right questions, you can help them be successful. One of the things that has helped me through life is helping others be successful rather than taking the adversarial position and making them prove it to me. If a bank would agree to send you what you asked for, then I'd say that customers like you are what keeps banking fees so high. --Jerry" So since you don't accept all of the opinions you voluntarily came here to solicit, then that makes us the "wrong" people? It is obvious you already had your choice made about the validity of the check, based on the info you posted. What was your point in bringing your solicitation for opinions if you really didn't want them? >>

Yes, I already had my answer before I made the post. I thought it was a good learning experience to share. Sometimes people around here jump to conclusions and I wanted to show that a little due diligence can avoid a lot of hassle. --Jerry >>

I liked the thread, the more like this can only make us all less likely to get screwed on a deal.

With that said I think notwilight original response to coindeuce was a little harsh.

Cashiers Check

Comments

Leave a Comment