Counterfeit Bankers Drafts Scam - Information from Northumbria Police
Counterfeit Cheques are common place, but a new twist to this is the Counterfeit Bankers Draft.
A Bankers Draft has always been a guarantee of payment as it is a cheque, written by the bank from their personal account. It was always advisable if selling an expensive item privately (e.g. a car etc.), to request a Bankers Draft instead of a personal cheque or cash.
It has come to the notice of Northumbria Police that a bankers draft has been intercepted (probably in the post) and counterfeited.
Current thinking suggest these bankers drafts are sent abroad in batches, possibly to an African country where they are treated to remove all traces of the genuine payee details and amount. The counterfeits generated from the original are then returned to this country. For details of two scams using forged bankers' drafts please see below:-