Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-01
FORGERS FIND WAY
TO SWINDLE BANKS
Most Elaborate Protective Sys.
TENS Fooled by Ingenuity
of Clever Rogues. 7

Although an elaborate system e
checking and eounter-cheeking and
the alertness of the modern cashier
make check forging more difficult and
less profitable every day. there are
still some ingenious rogues about
capable Of eircumventing all safe
guards. Indeed. the latest method Of
the expert forger reveals a remark
able degree Of skill and cleverness.s
writes a London bank cashier, N
Bits.
The most common form Of fraud
is for a stranger to get hold Of .
check. forge the customers sigma
ture. and present the check at the
counter for payment in cash. Tiers
are obvious risks and uncertainties
in this method. A check. for in
stance, might be drawn for more than
a customers balance. and suspicion
would thus be aroused or a cashier
might detect the forgery.
If neither event occurs, of course
the check is paid. the forger pockets
the money, and retires quickly from
the scene of his exploit Against
such forgery there Is practically NJ
safeguard but the alertness of the
cashier.
Forgers' New Plan.
Forgers. however. ind considers
able difficulty nowadays in obtaining
possession Of blank checks or check
books TO carry on their operations.
They have, therefore. hit upon an
other plan, which in the case Of one
gang has already proved exceedingly
successful. The method. as revealed
in recent criminal court case. con
sisted of wholesale thieving Of
checks.
The Offices of firm was watched.
and just before the last delivery.
when the Offices were closed and the
letters dropped into the box by the
postman, one of the operators doc
toreds the letter-box by placing
something in it to prevent the letters
falling to the bottom. Then. when
the last delivery was Completed, he
merely went around. abstraefsd the
letters with some Instrument. ana.
early next morning, before the theft
of the check could be discovered. pre-
sented it at the hank. the money
being paid over without derrsur on
the part of the cashier. The didcnitv
of the crossing of the check was GEE
over by an expert forger. who MAIDS
it an open check.
Another neat dodge was that o. .
couple of swindlers who some time
| ago ascertained that a gentleman WAS
| in the habit of sending two checks for
! substantial amounts periodically BY
post TO a bank. Opening small &C.
count at the same branch of the banlI
about the time their victim sent his|
checks there. the thieves contrfred to
obtain possession of the checks from
the pillar box where Il was the gem
| tleman's custom to post his letters.
Variation Revealed
/ Receipts were sent bearing imita-
| tons of the previously obtained SIG
natures of the payees. and the crossed
drafts. bearing forged Endorsements.
/ we're paid through the post into the
1 forgers own account. The checks
| could thus be drawn upon almost i'm
mediately, and at the earliest possible
moment the swindlers Withdrew and
| cleared with the cash. The bank rs
| pudiated the customers claim, but,
after an action, was ordered to mal<e
good his loss.
"A variation of the check forger'z
tricks was revealed a short time ago
by a prominent jeweler at one Of our
| seaside resorts One day he was
called upon by well-dressed man
| who presented an elaborate and neat-
I 1y-printed biilhead-an excellent for
gerry of a neighboring jewelers. busi-
ness paper-upon which was set forth
| the request that certain jeweiry mem
toned should be handed over. as It
i had a special customer anxious 10 he
| supplied with the goods, which, IN
fortunately, were not then amongits
/ stock.
/ The jeweler. deceived by the care
fulIy-prepared trick, handed the sup.
posed messenger a number OF rings
/ and other jewels worth about 500.
and. of course, never saw them Hgaan.
This particular swindler has victim
! lied several jewellers by this trick.
and up to the present has not been
laid by the heels"