Identifying a fake cheque?

[naylor1401]

Hi, i'm just wondering if anyone can tell me things to look for when spotting a fake cheque, just some research I've got to do for work as my job is to cash them.

Thanks

[daffy654]

Most cheques are watermarked so look for one one either side. Also look for any sign of smudged or erased signature or amount,make sure the ink used is the same colour throughout all the writing on the cheque.The printed lettering and numbering should be sharp and clear,if it isn't then refuse to cash the cheque.

[fredpuli47]

Which reminds me of Britain's worst cheque forgers. They set up a printing press to copy the pay cheques issued by a national firm of builders. They were clever enough to realise that each cheque had to be numbered in sequence. Unfortunately, that's where they came unstuck. Instead of changing the cheque number they had been changing the account number by one each time. The result was a whole lot of mystified customers and bank staff in just one branch in Scotland, where the builder banked. They were Irish forgers, but that was just coincidence!

[sprayer]

This is fine assuming that it is written on a purpose printed cheque as issued by banks but did you know
that you can legally write a cheque on almost anything, I remember some years ago a tv news item about
somebody writing a cheque out on the white side of a large flat fish as a protest against his bank the bank of
course refused to accept it, the case went to court and the bloke won the day because payment was offered
and refused by the bank making it the banks fault that payment was not received, look at his article I have just
coppied and pasted from the GUARDIAN newspaper.

As long as you have the bank details, account details, your signature, and the amount to be transferred, you can legally use anything as a cheque, providing that object is in itself legal. Cheque books are a service provided by the bank to save you the bother of writing out everything

[Naomicorlett]

We were told to count to five when checking cheques ( many years ago )
1 date
2 words
3 figures agree with word
4 signiture
5 Alterations had to signed against