The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-11
P|NKERTON TELLS OF
FORGERY METHODS
How Clever Swindlers Practice
Their Art
CITES SOME EXAMPLES
Aids in Supplying Specimens of
Bank Paper TO Men Who Use
Them to Defraud

/ w A1h w liiidii y. L f'oeeN
the greatest detective agency in the
United States, selects few of the Jobs
done by his most expert ''sleuths' with
in the past year. the police chiefs sit cS
and listen.
Yesterday afternoon he told just how
the forger operates. and gave some Incl
dents of the shrewdest originality. Civ
ing an insight into their unique methods
He said:
IAN arrest recently made by us in New
York city of a band of forgers who were
actively engaged in defrauding banks
there and elsewhere, brings forcibly to
| light the unique methods now used by
the forger. What [ refer to particularly
Is the securing of genuine signatures by
the forgers for models, determining where
business firms have their accounts. the
kinds of checks they use. and ascertain
ing where their checks are printed and
obtaining copies of them with which to
operate.
"One of the forgers temporarily locates
in business section of the city, opens
a genuine bank account with cash, Sc
GIL Cs a supply VI iCthCl hCdosf anu WIN
typewriter letters mails checks for small
amounts to firms whose signatures and
specimen of checks he desires to secure.
informing them that the check enclosed
is in payment of a small balance due
them. After a lapse of three or four
days, the forger in second letter, states
he inadvertently mailed the firm check
al xx-I,f ol, xr-aa n
tended for another firm, and requests
them to kindly return the check. Now
as matter of fact the firm who re-
ceived the first check had already de-
posted it in their bank for collection
before it was discovered they were not
entitled to it, and when they learn a
mistake had been made, usually, without
the slightest suspicion send to the forger
their own check for the amount they
received, supposedly by mistake This.
as you will note, gives the forger the
character of the check used, the name of
the bank the firm has its account In,
and their method of filling checks in, in
GLIDING rubber stamp. perforation, sig
nature, etc. In some instances cancelled
QeDOSltOTb CHtChe, uSto as AiAouCAS,
were stolen either by sneak robbery, trick,
or device or subterfuge in the day time,
or by entering desks in office buildings
at night time. Occasionally the forger
approaches careless employees in bank de-
positors' office pretends he is from the
photographer, Is making up some new
checks and desires, from some cancelled
-. +sxxf
Get Lithographer's Samples
1T is not an uncommon practice for
agents of the forgers to write to lithog-
raphers for samples, pretending to be
cashiers OF banks, etc., and requesting
them to send to their residences or to
postoffice box such samples as they re-
quire.
After securing models they are deliv-
cred to a second member of the forgery
band, who secures blank checks, either by
calling upon the photographers to get
sample copies of some checks, or by alb
stracting them from a pile of samples,
which he is examining, as a prospective
purchaser of checks, or by entering the
premises of the photographers at night
time with a master or made key.
in a satchel belonging to one of the
prisoners recently arrested in New York
city we found checks on hundreds of bust
ness concerns, upon the same number of
banks, and a quantity of blank stock
certificates, which were obtained from
the photographers by these methods.
TT is not difficult in the larger cities
to purchase almost any make of check
protector, or perforator, rubber stamps
and other paraphernalia to make the
counterfeiting of forged check impos-
sible of detection. The securing of blank
checks from a bank is quite easy, in
fact with our present bank methods 1t is
almost impossible to prevent their cir
culation, but we have always advocated
a secret series number upon each check
book issued to customers, such record
kept with the customers account, which
would make the detection of the blank
check used by the forger less difficult,
but the forgeries which 1 now speak of
were upon firm checks, that is, a blank
check upon g. firms bank, bearing the
printed name of the firm on the end Of
the check, which in itself gives the for
gerry a genuine appearance when it is
presented, because the teller naturally be-
lieves the check to be genuine, as 1t is
one of the FIRMS whose name is signed
thereto who are usually careful about
giving their blanks to persons unknown
to them. mention these facts because
I believe it behooves us all, in endeavor-
ing to suppress these forgery operations,
to prevent the forgers from obtaining
the actual blanks and paraphernalia
| necessary to their completion.
Would Urge Caution
II would therefore recommend to this
association that steps be taken by our
members to caution photographers in their
respective cities about the careless han
ding of specimens of sample checks,
drafts, certificates of stock etc. That no
prospective customer be permitted to ex-
| anime such specimens unless they are
perforated with the word Sample" or
| otherwise obliterated so that they cannot
be used by forgers or INSCRIPTIONS per-
| sons
| Il consider it would also be advisable
| to suggest to photographers that every
possible effort be made to prevent the
theft of samples, either at night or day
time. The forgers seldom leave a clew
whereby the theft of the specimen checks
could be discovered, abstracting but a
few of each kind from a number which
may be accessible.
I'm one instance the forgers stole a