[Michlib-l] Question regarding fraudulent checks

Thu Jul 6 15:05:52 EDT 2023

Hi all,

This thread reminded me of a story I just saw in the news - thought it might be worth a share!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/07/05/usps-mail-theft-check-fraud-carrier-robberies/70348511007/

Sounds like trying to pay with credit cards or online payment systems might be safer at this time (barring any cyber attacks, of course).

Jen

Jennifer Noble (she/hers)

Librarian II, PL/MAL

Detroit Public Library

5201 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, MI 48202

jnoble at detroitpubliclibrary.org

(313) 481-1385 (o)

________________________________
From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org> on behalf of Amy Goldyn via Michlib-l <michlib-l at mcls.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 6, 2023 2:43 PM
To: Jacalynn Harvey (Roseville Public Library) <jharvey at roseville-mi.gov>; Michlib-L <michlib-l at mcls.org>
Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] Question regarding fraudulent checks

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of Detroit Public Library. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Jackie,

Recently I have had a couple of checks going to Cengage that were never been received by them. I was notified by our account representative that they did not receive our payment, so a stop payment was placed on those checks.

I have the “positive pay” feature through Chase set up on all our accounts. I simply upload a list of all checks that I have written that include the check number, date, vendor’s name and amount. If something doesn’t match, Chase will not pay them.

About six months ago I sent a check to TIAA-CREF for some employee payroll deductions that went to a PO Box in Atlanta. They never made it to TIAA-CREF. Someone tried to “wash” it and cash it at a Chase Bank. The bank manager saw that the amount and payee had been changed because it didn’t match the positive pay information. She called me to verify that I entered the payee information correctly, which I confirmed. She was able to get that person apprehended for check fraud.

You might want to check with your banks to see if they offer something similar to Chase’s positive pay feature. It definitely saved us several times from fraudulent checks.

Thanks,

Amy

From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org> On Behalf Of Jacalynn Harvey (Roseville Public Library) via Michlib-l
Sent: Thursday, July 6, 2023 2:27 PM
To: Michlib-L <michlib-l at mcls.org>
Subject: [Michlib-l] Question regarding fraudulent checks

Good afternoon,

Have any other libraries experienced checks mailed to library vendors with remittance addresses in Atlanta, GA being fraudulently cashed?  My library has had four checks sent to B&T and Cengage fraudulently cashed in the last six months.  The three checks were mailed by the City of Roseville to the verified P.O. boxes in Atlanta and were cashed at both a large bank and a party store.  Our library was notified by B&T and Cengage that they had not received the checks which our Controller's office verified were cut, mailed and cashed.

After contacting the City's bank, Comerica, the City Controller contacted the local police when images of the checks showed that they were either "washed" with the payee name being removed with white-out and rewritten or signed by an unknow individual and cashed.  Local police notified other agencies and fraud claims were submitted to the post office.

The City also had two checks (Autozone and Firestone) that were sent to post office boxes in Atlanta cashed fraudulently recently.

The City and Library will eventually be reimbursed.  For now we are paying all invoices for vendors doing business through an Atlanta post office box by credit card as the City sets up ACH.

Since most libraries use B&T and Cengage, I thought there may be other cases of fraud.

Regards,

Jackie

Jacalynn Harvey

Director

Roseville Public Library

29777 Gratiot Avenue

Roseville, MI  48066

586-447-4550

586-445-5407 Library General Information

586-445-5499 FAX

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www.rosevillelibrary.org<http://www.rosevillelibrary.org/>

www.facebook.com/RosevillePublicLibraryMI<http://www.facebook.com/RosevillePublicLibraryMI>

https://twitter.com/rsvlibrary

https://www.instagram.com/rsvlibrary/

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