Bank and Banking
Related Fraud
Cheque Fraud / Check Fraud
Check fraud accounts for yearly losses of at least $815 million,
more than twelve times the $65 million taken in bank robberies
annually.
Cheque kiting is when in-transit or non-existent cash is recorded
in more than one bank account. The crime usually occurs when a
bank pays on an unfunded deposit.
For example, a bum check is deposited into an account. Before
the cash is collected by the bank, a check is written against the
same account and deposited into a second account, or cashed. The
increased use of wire transfers allows this type of scheme to be
perpetrated very quickly.
Uninsured Deposits
At least two companies solicit uninsured deposits on the Internet.
Netware International advertises itself as a "Constitutional" bank
and FocusInternational.com, Ltd., is a West Indies company seeking
deposits for an unidentified bank.
They lure depositors by offering high rates of interest, or promising
offshore secrecy. Neither company is authorized, supervised, or
regulated by any U.S. State or Federal bank or financial institutions
regulator. Deposits in these companies do not have the protection
of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state
or federal deposit insurance.
continue
QuickTour
One con, while in jail serving a state prison term for credit-card
theft, actually perpetrated yet another credit card scam over a
seven month period, using a technique that allowed him to hide
the fact that he was calling from jail.
He would start off by calling the county-run nursing home saying
he was a Bell Atlantic technician and that he needed the person
to dial a special code to test the lines. When the person pressed
the requested numbers, he would be connected to an outside line
that he used to call businesses.
When he called the businesses, he would tell them he was a credit-card
representative and that he needed customers' names and phone numbers
to verify recent transactions. With that information he then called
the cardholders and posed as a credit company employee, saying
he needed personal information to check for fraud.
With this personal information and the credit-card numbers, he
then requested and received more credit cards with which he made
about $25,000 worth of purchases of such things as sports memorabilia,
flowers, and gift certificates. He also bought calling cards so
he could continue the scam.
Some of the items were given to other inmates in exchange for
helping with the fraud while other items were shipped to friends
to be held for him until he got out of jail.
Duplication of Card Information - Skimming Scams
Credit card "double scan" machines can copy info from
the magnetic strip of your card and create a new duplicate card
for which your account will be billed for any purchases. Try to
keep your card in sight when possible to avoid this problem.
While card issuers have fraud detection software which picks up
unusual spending patterns, smaller purchase "skimming" can
be subtle and prolonged, compared to the flurry of spending when
a card is stolen outright.
 |
Keep a record of your account numbers,
their expiration dates, and the phone number and address of
each company in a secure place. |
|
Void incorrect receipts and destroy
carbons. |
|
Save receipts to compare with billing
statements. |
|
Open bills promptly and report
any questionable charges promptly and also in writing to the
card issuer. |
If you realize they've been lost or stolen, immediately call the
issuer. Many companies have toll-free numbers and 24-hour service
to deal with such emergencies.
By law, once you report the loss or theft, you have no further
responsibility for unauthorized charges. In any event, your maximum
liability under federal law is $50 per card. If you suspect fraud,
you may be asked to sign a statement under oath that you did not
make the purchases in question.
Booster Checks
A booster check is a non-sufficient fund (NSF) check used to make
a payment to a credit card account. One group used "booster
checks" to "bust out" legitimate credit cards. They
used credit card "convenience checks" issued by the banks
and credit card companies to inflate their credit card limits;
or to "bust out" the credit card to double or triple
the established line of credit.
Because banking laws require financial institutions to immediately
post credit payments even before the check has been cleared, they
would use the window of time between the posting of the credit
card payment and the discovery of the bad check to go on a spending
spree and purchase, among other things, large amounts of gold coins
from legitimate coin vendors.
They would also go to store owners who knowingly aided the bust
out scheme, who would "swipe" the credit cards through
point-of-sale credit card terminals located at their businesses.
While these transactions would appear to be legitimate, no merchandise
would actually be exchanged.
Once a credit card company transfers funds to a store owner's
bank account, a collusive merchant is able to dispense funds from
the busted out credit card. The merchants in this case allegedly
issued kickback checks to the card holder for the amount of the
transaction, and they would then receive a kickback from the card
holder which would amount to a small percentage of the transaction.
The Secret Service estimates the total loss in this one case is
between $10 million and $15 million.
Falsification of Loan Applications
While scheming to defraud four banks and a credit union, one con
opened checking and savings accounts using a false name and a fraudulently
obtained new social security number. He then applied for seven
loans for the stated purpose of financing the purchase of motor
vehicles.
He also submitted false documents concerning his employment and
income, including fake tax returns. By producing fictitious records
including motor vehicle appraisals, insurance documents and invoices
he obtained approximately $380,000 in loans for the purchase of
a 1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, a 1978 Ferrari model 308 GTS
convertible, a 1992 Mercedes-Benz model 300SE, a 1995 Mercedes-Benz
model SL320 and a 1994 Mercedes-Benz model 500SL.
He also applied for and was issued multiple credit cards and charge
cards. In just seven months he ran up charges leading to losses
of at least $460,000.
For example, he used an American Express account to pay $27,000
towards the purchase of an item of jewelry, used an MasterCard
to place a $5,000 down payment towards the purchase of a 1955 Mercedes-Benz
300SL Gullwing with a purchase price of $203,000 and a 1964 Ferrari
250GT Lusso convertible with a purchase price of $153,000, and
then used the American Express account to pay $320,000 towards
the purchase of these two antique automobiles.
He also used various
VISA and MasterCard accounts to obtain substantial cash advances
and used the American Express account to pay $93,600 towards the
purchase of a Patek Philippe Moon Phase watch with a purchase price
of $95,600.
Laxity of Enforcement
One of the problems with enforcing bank fraud laws is that it
is often relegated to a low priority, or ignored altogether, because
the activity can span several jurisdictions, involve many unidentified
subjects, is non-violent and usually there are few leads.
Normally, the typical bank robber nets $700 and is caught within
24 hours, yet the average check scam involves losses of more than
$2,000, the perpetrators are seldom caught, and there are more
than one hundred times as many cases as bank robberies. Out of
10,000 cases the losses exceeded $60 million dollars.
Many bank fraud suspects are able to elude arrest by furnishing
false identification when cashing stolen, forged, or counterfeited
checks. One effort to stop this crime is the "Check Print" program
which requires non-bank customers to provide a thumb print, using
a clear solution, on the negotiated check for identification purposes.
With this positive identification, it has been much easier to identify,
arrest, and successfully prosecute bank fraud scams.
Check Security Features
Check manufacturers help deter check fraud by making checks difficult
to copy, alter, or counterfeit. Some useful security measures include:
Watermarks. Watermarks are made by applying
different degrees of pressure during the paper manufacturing process.
Most watermarks make subtle designs on the front and back of the
checks. These marks are not easily visible and can be seen only
when they are held up to light at a 45-degree angle. This offers
protection from counterfeiting, because copiers and scanners generally
cannot copy watermarks accurately.
Copy Void Pantograph. Pantographs are
patented designs in the background pattern of checks. When photocopied,
the pattern changes and the word "VOID" appears, making
the copy nonnegotiable.
Chemical Voids Chemical voids involve
treating check paper in a manner that is not detectable until eradicator
chemicals contact the paper. When the chemicals are applied, the
treatment causes the word "VOID" to appear, making the
item non-negotiable.
High Resolution Microprinting. High-resolution
microprinting is very small printing, typically used for the signature
line of a check or around the border, in what appears to be a line
or pattern to the naked eye. When magnified, the line or pattern
contains a series of words that run together or become totally
illegible if the check has been photocopied or desktop scanned.
Three-dimensional Reflective Holostripe. A
holostripe is a metallic stripe that contains one or more holograms,
similar to those on credit cards. Those items are difficult to
forge, scan, or reproduce, because they are produced by a sophisticated,
laser-based etching process.
Security Inks Security inks react with
common eradication chemicals. These inks reduce a forger's ability
to modify the printed dollar amount or alter the designated payee,
because when solvents are applied, a chemical reaction with the
security ink distorts the appearance of the check.
Cooperation between Check Manufacturers and Financial
Institutions
Participating financial institutions can report all checking accounts "closed
for cause" to a central database, called ChexSystems. This
program prevents people, who have outstanding checks due to retailers,
from opening new accounts.
You can use this information before opening new accounts to spot
repeat offenders and you can also use MICR information from a check
presented with the applicant's drivers license number to check
the SCAN file for any previous fraudulent account activity.
|
