Patent ID: 7620231

Claim:
A system for processing checks, comprising: at least one input receptacle for receiving checks; at least one output receptacle for receiving checks; an image scanning system that obtains an image of at least a portion of at least one side of each check and extracts, from the check image, an amount of information which uniquely identifies the check, the amount of information including an ABA number, an account number, a check number, or any combination thereof; a validation unit that tests each of the checks using one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks; a transport mechanism that transports each of the checks, one at a time, from the at least one input receptacle, past the image scanning system and validation unit, to the at least one output receptacle; a memory that stores an amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit check, the amount of information including a flagged ABA number, a flagged account number, a flagged check number, or any combination thereof; and a processor operating to compare the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each check to the stored amount of information which identifies at least one counterfeit check so as to identify, as a suspect check, any check with matching information, the processor further operating to update the counterfeit check information stored in the memory with the extracted amount of information which uniquely identifies each check that fails one or more tests for detecting counterfeit checks, wherein the flagged ABA number, the flagged account number, and/or the flagged check number are associated with counterfeit checks, accounts with insufficient funds, checks with stop payment orders, accounts with holds, overdrawn accounts, and/or closed accounts.