I received a cashier’s check. My bank said it was a fraud because it had the phone number of the bank on it and banks never put their number on a cashier’s check. Is this true?
It's true that fraudulent cashier's checks often include a printed telephone number that is actually the number of the counterfeiter or his confederate, who will gladly lie about the legitimacy of the check, lulling the unwary into complacency, but it cannot be said that you will never see a telephone number on a legitimate cashier's check. What your bank should have done is call (or suggest that you call) a number for the alleged issuing bank, obtained from the internet or a good old-fashioned "411" call. That number may vary from the number printed on the check even if the check is as good as gold, but it's important that you obtain the number from some source other than the check. Don't trust any number found in correspondence you received with the check, either, since that could just as easily be a fraudulent number.
Using the number you got independently, you or the bank could then ask to have the check verified. Many banks will gladly do that; others will not. If you or your bank is still concerned about the legitimacy of the check, your bank can submit it for collection, rather than taking it for deposit. Using a collection procedure will prevent your account from being credited until the check is finally paid.
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It's true that fraudulent cashier's checks often include a printed telephone number that is actually the number of the counterfeiter or his confederate, who will gladly lie about the legitimacy of the check, lulling the unwary into complacency, but it cannot be said that you will never see a telephone number on a legitimate cashier's check. What your bank should have done is call (or suggest that you call) a number for the alleged issuing bank, obtained from the internet or a good old-fashioned "411" call. That number may vary from the number printed on the check even if the check is as good as gold, but it's important that you obtain the number from some source other than the check. Don't trust any number found in correspondence you received with the check, either, since that could just as easily be a fraudulent number.