Evaporating bank checks, circa 1989

Factual Questions
1

This is one of those things I dimly remember reading about in the newspaper (Atlanta’s Journal-Constitution) when I was in high school. I have no idea how true it is, and I may misremember some of the details, but I would appreciate it if anyone here can shed light on it.

Apparently some years ago there was a man, a talented chemist, who developed a way to scam banks out of large sums of money. He would open up accounts with huge sums of money, say $200,000 – but ask for about half to be given to him in cash. He would make the deposits with cashier’s checks that were printed on greenish paper, with purple ink (something like that). The checks would be set aside by the teller for processing later.

Within a half-an hour, though, these checks would, through some curious cemical process, completely dissolve! One newspaper account describes how some poor teller watched in horror as the check went up in smoke and ash before her eyes. With no proof of the transaction, the banks would be stuck for the stolen amount the guy walked out with.

Within the banking industry, warnings went out about this scam instantly. After successfully pulling this same stunt off in a few more places, the crook’s luck ran out: alerted, one bank cashier who was given such a check noticed when it began to self-destruct. She was able to dump her sandwich out from a Zip-loc bag and slip the check inside and seal it, thus saving the check before it completely dissolved and giving investigators their first real piece of evidence to work with.

I remember reading the papers VERY carefully the next few days to see if there was any follow-up developments to this story, but there never was. Eventually I got sidetracked and it’s since become a nagging, “Wonder whatever happened to…?” thing that tickles the back of my mind. Sadly, I did not save any clippings and I can’t remember the exact details of the banks involved. If this sounds glurgish I apologize, but these things do become hazy after 10 years.

I recall reading at least two items about this in a two week period through the AP or UPI writing services on or about 1989 -1990 – mid to late summer, I think. I always wondered what happened to the guys who perpetrated this fraud and whether they got away with it.

If anyone here can shed light on this or similar banking scams, I’d appreciate reading it. Thank GOD for the internet.

2

I don’t recall this story at all. But I can say this:

*There is such a thing as disappearing ink pens. I know because I have one. It works quite well. Within 12 hours what ever you have writen is completely gone. It’s impressive if you get to see it in person. I paid about $75 for it. I’ve seen others for as low as $25 but their weren’t as good as the one I have. (They were still pretty neat, though.).

*There is also such a thing as disappearing papar. I know because I have a note pad of this too. It was only $5.00!!
It’s really neat. It seems like regular paper, but put some water on it, or dip it into a glass of water, or even stuff it into your mouth, and it disintergrates into nothingness…instantly! It just completely falls apart and mixes with the liquid.

*Then, of course, there is good ol’ magicians flash paper. POOF! :eek:

So with things like those available to the geral public, i bet a good con-man could pull off what your talking about!

3

pkbites: I shpould mention it was a minor news item buried in the back pages, but one I thought was nevertheless interesting. Appeals to the same side of me that wonders about D.B. Cooper, I guess.

4

Disappearing Ink is not a new idea. However, Im sure that the pen puts in a tiny impression on the paper that can be detected later with some special FBI proceedure & when the FBI comes to your house & picks you up for fraud, you won’t think it was so clever after all.

5

As a matter of fact, you’re absolutely right! If you write with that pen in a normal manner it does create an impression.

6

True… but as I recall, the ink didn’t just vanish – it and the check it was printed on completely dissolved, leaving nothing but ashes to work with, if that. The FBI is good but probably not going to be able to do much more than tell the probable chemical reactions that made the paper go up in smoke and where various chemicals that might have been purchased. Unless there’s a receipt or use of exotic chemicals, it’s not going to lead to anyone’s front door. They’d have to wait for a break in the case.

They MIGHT have gotten a partial handwriting sample from the check the alert bank clerk saved, maybe a partial fingerprint, but that’s hardly damnable evidence, is it?

7

From what I recall from reading about these dissapearing checks is that they were easily recognized due to a very noticeable oily residue of chemicals on the paper. Once alerted to the scam, it was apparently very easy for the teller to notice the scam being played.

8

Askia K. Hale, ah! But you forgot, the banks take a PHOTO of the checks that come in!!!

9

When does the bank take a photo of the check? The OP says the check were disintigrating in about 1/2 hour. I have never seen people wisking away check to the back room of the bank.

I remember thinking about this in high school. Not that I had any clue about how one would make a dissapearing check. I would think there would be problems about the check not clearing because they dissapeared. I don’t know what the banks would do in that situation. But I do think that you could not play this trick on a bank more than a few times before they would start wondering why they lost so many of your checks.

10

“When does the bank take a photo of the check? The OP says the check were disintigrating in
about 1/2 hour”

So? They find that their account balance is short $5000 & a check for Betty Ripler is missing. Hmmmmm, could you figure that out?

11

One type of show I love to watch are those programs that show crimes being solved by forensic evidence.

One that shows here in Canada is called Exhibit A.
I recently caught only the back end of one show, so I didn’t see the whole story. However, some guy was scamming banks here with that technique.

I don’t know exactly how it worked, but I do remember that the guy would come in on a Friday and he’s created an ink formula that would take a couple of days to disapear (so it would disappear on the Sunday. He’d been doing it for a while and was caught purely by chance… the teller did something wrong and the cheque was left out from the regular deposits or something like that…