IP: More on --May I see your license (not that that does much

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 16:53:43 -0700
To: farber () cis upenn edu
From: Mark Laubach <laubach () com21 com>




The forger's new techniques I suspect are in response to Wells Fargo's
recent use of requiring a fingerprint of the person trying to cash a
check if they themselves do not have an account at the bank.


I got hit last November in a check washing fraud case.  Postal mail
was stolen from my mailbox containing a handwritten check from me.
Since then, I never leave mail for pickup in my mailbox on the
street, it's too easy for someone to drive by and steal the contents.


The amount was for about $75.00.  The thieves washed the check in
solvent, removing the ink, then rewrote the payee and the amount
and duplicated my signature.  The new amount was $990.00.  I found out
about the problem via my on-line banking, but I had to wait for the
statement to get a hold of the check.  The check was cashed in the
branch in Palo Alto that is my account home.  After providing some
evidence and written description of events, the bank eventually gave
me $990 back.  This past spring, I saw the notes in the bank about the
finger printing requirements.  With this new scam that Jim points out,
the cashier appears to be the account owner and no fingerprint would
be required. Intersting way to get around and very difficult to catch.


I was put out for inconvience of having to close and open a new account
and for getting a new set of laser checks.


Maybe I could put a restriction on my checking account that disallowed
the cashing of checks to myself or to "cash".  I always use my ATM
card for getting money.


Mark