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  Home >> Checks/Money Orders >> Checks You Received  
Determining a Fraudulent Check

My daughter received an unexpected cashier's check for $4800 via priority mail. The check was drawn on MandT Bank and looks to be legitimate. However I am concerned that it may be fraudulent.

There was no letter or memo indicating why she received the check and she has no idea why she received it. I've tried to search the bank routing number to no avail. What else should I do?


That check is probably fraudulent, since your daughter wasn't expecting it. People don't just get windfalls like that without hearing about them in advance.

Take the check to her bank and ask them to help her determine if the routing number that's encoded on the bottom of the check matches the bank that's identified. The bank may be willing to try to contact the alleged issuing bank to verify the check's validity, or to help your daughter with information on contacting the bank.

If she is unable to verify the validity of the check by telephone, she can ask her bank to take the check for collection. That will cost her some money, but it's the only sure way to know whether the check is good. If she deposits the check and it bounces, she'll be liable to her bank for the check amount, even if she has spent all or part of the money. Summing up, this scenario has all the markings of "too good to be true."

Published on BankingQuestions.com 7/12/07