cheque Fraud

[jessica]

Recently whilst checking my bank statement, I noticed that a cheque I had written for some work to be done had increased in value by £40.00.
I have contacted the bank and they are sending me a copy of the cheque. If it as I think, that the person who I wrote the cheque to has tampered with it then I have to go to the bank and they then take it from there.( have a receipt for the work and a total figure.) oh and a name and address.....
two questions.
1. will I have to go to court or give a statement, if this person has committed fraud.
2. will the bank re-eburse me the lost money? ( I know its only forty quid, it's a matter of principle.)
3. The person was called in to do the work by a national company ( they didnt have a skilled member of staff to do this work)will they be liable too?
God knows how many people this person had conned. Thought they would have a nice little extra cash for christmas....
Imagine 40 customers £40 a pop that's a nice christmas bonus....

Edited by jessica on Tuesday 19th January 18:17

[Cupramax]

And the lesson of this is always write the figure clearly in letters leaving no space to modify, line through the rest and do the same with the figures on the right of the cheque. Can only sympathise but the bank shouldn't accept a modified cheque unless is countersigned by you if that is whats happened.

[missdiane]

Cheques still exist?



Can't help on any info Jessica, but well done for the spot, not everyone bothers to check

[jessica]

Cupramax said:

And the lesson of this is always write the figure clearly in letters leaving no space to modify, line through the rest and do the same with the figures on the right of the cheque. Can only sympathise but the bank shouldn't accept a modified cheque unless is countersigned by you if that is whats happened.

I did exactly as you stated.. even a line between the figures and a P at the end.
I guess clever crook rubbed out the original amount which was not £100. and re wrote it.
just thank goodness he didnt write it for a lot more....

[NDA]

Interesting.... let us know what happens.

He (the fraudster) will undoubtedly deny that the cheque had been altered by him and that you had altered it yourself for some last minute 'sundry items' rather than write a new one. I suspect you would have to sue him (ultimately) in the small claims court as it can be hard to persuade the Police to take action over contested small sums.

[p4pedro]

I once paid a cheque into my bussiness account that had not been signed ( the person who gave me the cheque was away on holiday for a fortnight, so I thought what the hell - just try it ). The cheque cleared.

I was talking to a teller at my bank the following week and I was told that only one in a hundred cheques are actually inspected, they only check there are enough funds to honour the cheque.

peter

[Ry_B]

Not much help for now, but use tele/internet banking in future? Much easier way of banking!

[CatherineJ]

I would have thought that if it is altered it should hopefully be quite recognisable if you completed the cheque as you said you did.

In which case I would think it will be the bank that is responsible and they should refund the differencw to your account.

It would then be for them to persue the return of the outstanding £40.

A bit like with credit card fraud, in that you don't tend to get involved and they take care of the problem.

[jessica]

Ry_B said:

Not much help for now, but use tele/internet banking in future? Much easier way of banking!

I do use internet banking. and a debit card.
without going into detail I used a very reputable National company for some work on something. and they did not specialise in stuff it needed. the man in question ( who they used as there preffered repairer) asked for a cheque payment and provided a receipt. Then obviously thought he would take a christmas bonus.
and yes i spotted it.

[Gareth79]

Could it be possible that the bank clerk mis-typed the amount when it was paid in?

If it were me, I would go to the police if the cheque has indeed been altered. Although the amount is low, it is a pretty serious fraud and I would be surprised if they didn't take action.

I assume cheques are digitally scanned in colour now, it used to be a high-contrast microfilm which would make it tricky to prove it had been altered. (It could be claimed that you mistakenly wrote the higher amount)

Edited by Gareth79 on Wednesday 20th January 11:04

[Mrs Topsparks]

Gareth79 said:

Could it be possible that the bank clerk mis-typed the amount when it was paid in?

If it were me, I would go to the police if the cheque has indeed been altered. Although the amount is low, it is a pretty serious fraud and I would be surprised if they didn't take action.

I assume cheques are digitally scanned in colour now, it used to be a high-contrast microfilm which would make it tricky to prove it had been altered. (It could be claimed that you mistakenly wrote the higher amount)

Edited by Gareth79 on Wednesday 20th January 11:04

It could well be a bank clerk inputting error, I had it with a cheque for £32,000 was keyed in as £3,200 and wasn't picked up until I checked online on my bank statement.