Foster Area Business Association

Travelers Check Fraud

Sep 08, 1999

Since August 1998, more than 50 cases of counterfeit MasterCard Traveler?’s Checks have been re-ported. Many more have probably gone unreported.
The suspects in most cases are drug users. They victimize small retail businesses who will not im-mediately identify the checks as counterfeit. Counterfeiters copy one or both sides of a good check using a color copy machine. In many cases, the victims did not require identification when they accepted the checks.
MasterCard recommends these steps to identify actual checks:
?· Can you feel the sharply defined image and raised texture of the check border and main text?
?· When you hold the check to the light, can you see a watermark of a goddess when viewing from the front or back?
?· Call MasterCard to verify a check?’s serial number as valid or closed. The call is free.
In most cases, the retailer took the loss because they did not follow the check identification procedures required by MasterCard Travelers Cheques International. If you have questions regarding these steps or need additional information, call MasterCard?’s 24-hour number at 1-800-223-9920.