How to Tell What a Real Check Looks Like
Learn to distinguish legitimate checks from fraudulent ones. Understand key indicators and verification methods for financial security.
A check functions as a written instruction to a financial institution, directing it to pay a specified amount of money to a recipient. Despite digital payment options, checks remain a common method for transferring funds. However, the prevalence of fraudulent checks necessitates understanding how to identify a legitimate one. Recognizing authentic features and security measures is important for protecting yourself from financial loss.
Key Components of a Legitimate Check
A valid check contains several standard elements. At the top left, you will find the drawer’s or payer’s information, including their name and address. Below this, the “Pay to the order of” line indicates where the recipient’s name is written.
To the right of the payee line, a date line specifies when the check was written. Two areas for the amount are present: a numerical amount (e.g., “$100.00”) and a written amount (e.g., “One Hundred and 00/100 Dollars”), which should always match. An optional memo line allows for a brief payment description, such as “Rent” or “Invoice #123.”
The signature line, usually in the bottom right, is where the drawer authorizes payment. The name and logo of the financial institution are prominently displayed. Along the bottom is the Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) line, consisting of three distinct number sets: the routing number, account number, and check number. These numbers are printed in magnetic ink, allowing automated processing by banking systems.
Essential Security Features
Modern checks incorporate various anti-fraud security features to prevent counterfeiting and alteration.
Microprinting involves tiny text or patterns often found on signature lines or borders that appear as a solid line when photocopied. When held to light, legitimate checks often display watermarks, which are designs embedded in the paper, sometimes showing words like “Original Document” or the bank’s logo.
Chemical alteration protection is another safeguard, where the paper reacts with common ink eradicators, causing a stain or discoloration if tampering occurs. Some checks include a security thread, a thin strip embedded in the paper visible when held to light, often with text or a pattern. Color-shifting ink, which changes hue when viewed from different angles, may be used for elements like bank logos.
Fibers, either visible or invisible (reactive under UV light), are sometimes embedded within the check paper. A common visual indicator of security features is the padlock icon, often printed on the check, signifying it includes various protective elements. These features collectively make checks more difficult to forge and easier to authenticate.
Steps to Verify Authenticity
To confirm a check’s legitimacy, several steps can be taken beyond visual inspection.
Contact the issuing bank directly to verify the check’s validity. Obtain the bank’s contact information from an independent source, such as their official website or a bank statement, rather than relying on numbers printed on the check itself, which could be fraudulent. When calling, provide the routing number, account number, check number, and the amount for verification.
Examine the check’s physical quality for inconsistencies. Authentic checks are printed on heavier, high-quality paper, unlike flimsy printer paper. Legitimate checks exhibit sharp, clear printing, while fakes may show blurry, smudged, or uneven text and logos. Check for any signs of alteration, such as erasures, white-out, or different ink types.
A common red flag is the overpayment scam, where a check is issued for more than the agreed-upon amount, and the recipient is asked to send back the difference. Always be cautious of such requests and avoid sending any funds back until the check has fully cleared.
Understand that a check appearing in your account does not mean it has truly cleared. Banks often make a portion of deposited funds available quickly, but it can take up to two business days, or longer for large amounts or suspicious activity, for a check to fully clear. Fraudulent checks can take weeks to be identified as fake, and you may be held responsible for any funds spent from a fraudulent deposit.