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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →You can ask the bank named on a check whether it can validate the check, but you generally cannot treat a deposit’s visible or withdrawable balance as proof that the check has been finally paid. There is no universal consumer service established here for checking a payer’s live account balance or guaranteeing that a check will not later be returned.
How to ask the issuing bank to verify a check
- Identify the purported issuing bank. Find the bank named on the check.
- Get its phone number independently. Use the bank’s official website or a trusted directory. The FDIC advises against relying on the number printed on the check or one supplied by the person who gave it to you; see FDIC guidance on fake checks.
- Call and ask whether it can validate the check. The bank may ask for the check number, issue date, and amount. A bank’s willingness and ability to verify vary; asking about the instrument is not the same as getting confirmation of the account’s current balance or a guarantee of payment.
- Ask your own bank about the deposit. Follow its instructions and ask what has been confirmed, whether a hold applies, and what remains provisional. Your bank can explain how it is treating the deposit in your account.
Does available money mean the check cleared?
No. A bank may make deposited funds available for withdrawal before it knows whether the paying bank will return the check unpaid. The Federal Reserve explains that federal funds-availability rules address when funds must be made available, while also recognizing the risk to a depositary bank of releasing money before return status is known: Regulation CC overview.
The FTC puts the practical warning plainly: “Even if you see the funds in your account, that doesn’t mean it’s a good check.” Counterfeit checks can take weeks to be detected. If a check is returned after you have spent or transferred the money, your bank may require you to repay it. See the FTC’s guidance on spotting, avoiding, and reporting fake-check scams.
For institutions regulated by the OCC, its consumer guidance says that generally the first $275 must be available at the start of the next business day and the remainder generally by the second business day, subject to exceptions. Circumstances that may allow longer holds include reasonable cause to believe funds are uncollectible, redeposited checks, large check deposits, certain new or repeatedly overdrawn accounts, and emergencies. Rules and thresholds can change; consult the OCC’s current funds-availability guidance and your account agreement for your situation.
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Warning signs that a check may be part of a scam
- The sender asks you to deposit a check and send back some of the money as an overpayment refund.
- You are told to pay fees or taxes, buy supplies or gift cards, or send money by wire or cryptocurrency.
- The check arrives unexpectedly, including as payment for a job or another money-making offer, and the sender pressures you to act quickly.
Do not return money from a check to a stranger. A check can look genuine and still be counterfeit or tied to an account whose owner’s identity was stolen. Logos, paper quality, security features, and detector pens cannot establish that the account has sufficient funds or guarantee that the check will be paid; the FDIC notes that physical inspection can be difficult.
What to do if you deposited a suspicious check
- Do not spend or transfer the money. Contact your bank promptly and explain why you suspect the check may be fraudulent. Ask what steps it recommends for the deposit.
- If you already sent money, contact the payment provider and your bank immediately. Ask whether the payment can be stopped or recovered; speed may matter.
- Report the suspected scam. The FTC’s fake-check guidance explains how to report it.
How common are fake-check reports?
In a February 2020 data spotlight using 2019 reports, the FTC said about 50% of people who reported a fake-check scam had been offered a job or another way to earn money. That describes FTC reports, not the prevalence of job-related tactics among all scams or consumers. The same spotlight reported a median individual loss of $1,988 on fake-check scams, compared with $320 across all fraud types, and said direct FTC reports about fake checks were up about 65% from 2015 levels. These are historical report-based figures, not current expected losses or estimates of all incidents: FTC February 2020 data spotlight.
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