SOME FORGERIES ARE JUST BAD CHECKS IN DISGUISE

A bad check is a check written on an account with insufficient funds or an account that has been closed. A forgery occurs when a check is written on somebody else's account.

But sometimes forgeries are just bad checks in disguise, police say.

"There are a number of forgeries where people report it as a forgery and have written the check themselves," says Sgt. Carl Kinnison of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

People who report a forgery must sign an affidavit stating they have not written the check themselves. "Unfortunately," Kinnison said, "that's one of the first places we look now at the person reporting the incident."

Forgery is a class D felony carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Traditional forgeries still occur. Some criminals travel from town to town forging checks, says Cpl. Kevin Orr of the Cape Girardeau police. Sometimes they print up their own checks to match false identifications. Other times, people commit forgeries after stealing checks by breaking into a car or house.

"Sometimes they take them from friends," Orr says. "And sometimes they are fairly slick. They may take three or four our of the middle of books of checks, and it's some time before they are discovered missing."

But some people who report forgeries in fact have written checks with insufficient funds and are trying to get away with it, police say.

Handwriting analysis can indicate a crime has been committed, but proving it can be a problem.

"It is a difficult case to make unless they make a silly mistake like using their own ID or get caught on videotape," Orr said.

The check-cashing dangers are greater in cities like Cape Girardeau, where customers expect merchants to accept checks. Orr says there's only one way for stores to prevent forgeries: Have a solid written policy on accepting checks. The policy should require clerks to see a picture ID every time they take a check, he said, and to record the date of birth, driver's license number and expiration date.

"And making sure the picture on the license does match the person standing in front of them," he said. "If they have any questions, ask a supervisor for approval."

"... No matter how busy the clerk is, they need to take the time to check the person's identification," Orr says.

A clerk who spots a check that obviously has been altered or already has accepted bad checks from the customer should call the police immediately, Orr said.

"We want them to call us while that person is standing there. We're talking about a crime being committed right there in front of them."

Out-of-state checks and checks numbered below 500 are considered bad risks, Orr said. "Anywhere from 70 to 85 percent of bad checks are from new accounts... A lot of times they are written by people who have not had an account before."

Writing a bad check for $150 or more with insufficient funds or a stop payment for $150 or more also is a felony, as is writing $150 in bad checks over a 10-day period. Writing a check on an account you know is closed also is a felony.

About one-third of all small business failures nationwide are attributed to bad checks and stealing.