The sun., 1889-11-10
CASH ON RAISED CHECKS.
HEAPS or IT 60 OUT FROM THE
RANKS THAT TlY EYERY YEAR


Comparative Safety - ClsVsr Schemes
Against vvhIeh New York Bank srs will
he on Their Gunrd Hereafter.
The account published in The Sun q few
days ago OF tho manner in which Broadway
bank was 30 cleverly swindled out OF $4,000 by
raised" certificate Of deposit would tend to
prove that the nrt OF check raising has by no
means fallen into disuse. While 80 much rs
formerly is not seen In the newspapers regard
ing this most dangerous class OF swindle. Inn
mense sums Of money are lost annually in
New York and throughout the country by It,
II many OF the best known bankers and busi-
ness men OF New York are to be believed, they
suffer more In the course of the year from tho
depredations OF the check raisers than from
those OF the regular forRers. The operations
OF the former class OF swlnders are. rs 10 rule,
on smaller scale than those of the latter. but
what they lack In size or amount is moro than
made up by the increased number OF raised
checks and much larger number of opera
tors. The forging of mans name 10 a check
or other piece Of financial paper is something
which reQulres high degree OF skill, while to
raise check requires but little practice. and
may be accomplished by n comparative novice.
Tho penalty is less than for forgery. too, in
case OF detection. In this State. for instance.
check raising is indictable as forgery In the
third degree, while tine imitation OF another
mans name, with fraudulent intent. is punish
able as forgery in tho first degree. In the one
case. nve years sentence and fine is the
seyerost penalty: In the other, instances arc
by no means rare where the full penalty OF the
law fifteen years imprisonment has been
meted OUT.
In most instances when checks are sent out
they are not seen again by the maker for a
mar nd nj In AQ hua hotIo of mi
siderable magnitude. always have q comfort
able balance with their bankers. ample time
and an abundance of cash are thus placed at the
disposal Of the check raisers.
As TO the best methods Of raising checks so
that that ths fraud fraud VIII not not be readily detected
T Of te " tnsy
and quality OF the paper, and Tho chemical pro-
perties Of the inks. are points which are neces-
Many checks may be altered to a larger
amount by the mere addition ,ot stroke OF the
chemicals. in sone other place, For instance.
lake check OF one hundred dollars, no matter
bow It may e9 wreR there are e or SIX d
much larger amount and in such manner as
to, defy the scrutiny OF the most careful hank
erey adng 9Se oSp sf the dot
ting the, first part OF the N" to make Of 1t an
bs erons ap5 h9 c?n.scns s,rGks HO be-
To complete the change 1t will be found neces-
sary to erase yith c, che micHls & part Of the ,e"
easily altered TO eight hundred dollars, espe-
cinlly when sufficient space has beeenn left be-
Xdd to So the top pr o.
TsmsIniIns @ part q the = With +be b %e FORM: E
figure i is very easily changed to IS"
Sometimes small capital is used for an
hundred is easily accomplished by simply pre-
liking capital and transforming tho Q"
into an 'r,' the IN being made to serve as
Another change frequently madeis to Ten
ing the first part Of the u to an g e."
or course any of the foregoing changes may
RSGnst RS mnaf be with S9"d ns waher the
amop"t alter than H{H 1ne hunared ufp ess
smn the dot n5f be rs
the make Ss an change M tas
the perfect oS t. by simply adding the top part Of
Three hundred is not so easily altered: still
dred into 'Hf an aerston Ha when
is by no means rare. and which Is quite sim
Place a capital ~" before the Sh Change h % The
Tiff PHrt Of
Gart q tho ~" to an s." erase the top Dart Of
bS mRns G an he ni
e" This alteration may appear to be some
Tnss n but a o 1t according pr dan
-Four" is another easy amount to alter IL
il done by ex,5endng, the second part Of tho
ty." TSenty' is another an H' esF iy hs changed iS
amount at all that is NECESSARY to mak&eseyenty &
the Grst part OF tile wv" into an 'e." TO make
the alteration perfect the top part OF the IT"
In regard to the chemicals used to erase ink
much depends upon the ink. For most writ
ing fluids and copying inks. which are in daily
the best eraser known, and when properly
made is very quick and effective in its work.
avoid corrosion, % or With clean BIT Of sponge. ROM
1t acts as q powerful bleach and with IL the
face OF check may be washed II: white as be.
come dry and hard. sometimes carbolic or
neetic acid Is used effectively with the chlorine.
clean polished surface OF check will OF course
destroy tho finish and leave q perceptible
stain: but the work OF covering up these traces
is quito rs simple as removing the ink In the
1lrst place.
1t Is not uncommon. when filling out checks
ink write the amount across the face OF tho
pnner. and again make the figures in and
ate ee hSsS Ee
difficult for u clumsy novice but 1t only i'm
poses a fow minutes more work upon the ac-
complished manipulatOr. A few years ago
what is known as tinted paper, was brought
quite generally into use for checks and as the
use OF chemicals upon its SURFACE destroyed
the tint, 1t was supposed that an effectual SAFE
guard against check raising had been found.
This belief was dispeled when 1t was found
that tho tint could be restored by the use OF
crayons or wator cOlors.
An Ingenious method OF check raising, was
practised not long since on b Providence bust
ness house. BY one OF many well-kpown
deposltor check for small amount. say $40.
BY means known to himself he secured dupli-
Gates Of the check in blank. Taking one OF
these. blank duplicates he placed 1t on the
genuine $40 check 80 that the corresponding
parts Of the checks matched perfectly with
each other Placing the two checks on a
smooth polished surface; and holding them
firmly in position with the lett hand, he tore q
piece from the checks diagonaly acros' the
lower right hand corner. and includIng the Gig
nature on the genuine $40 check, The tearing
operation was done 80 80 perfectly that each
Blank duplicate or the genuine check, SO the
only thing which remained TO he done was to
attach the piece bearing tho signature to the
blank duplicate; This was done 20 nicely that
place where the Joint was made deiled