*** FOR A VIDEO VERSION OF THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.These days, more people are likely to swipe a debit card, than write out a personal check.
After all, the plastic option is faster, more versatile, and more secure... right?
But you might be surprised how many security features are actually there to protect your old-fashioned paper promise.
This recent email from a
CBS 21 News viewer sparked our interest:
My 14-year-old nephew recently showed me something that I never realized. He asked me to see my checkbook, and with a magnifying glass, showed me that the line that you sign your name on really is not a line at all. The line is really made up of very tiny print that says "AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE." I was wondering if all banks do this?"
Richard, New Kingstown, Cumberland CountyTo be completely honest, the first thing we did upon reading Richard's email was take an informal survey around the
CBS 21 Newsroom. Amazingly, nobody had any idea what Richard was talking about.
But after several employees broke out their own checkbooks, and looked very closely at the signature line in the lower right corner, there was a collective "Whoa!"
Turns out, Richard was right.
Next, we forwarded the email onto several local banking professionals, along with a few questions of our own:
Why all the tiny type?
And do all financial institutions embed their checks with secret security features?
The answer we received from the experts was a resounding "
LEGIT."
In one email response to our question, Tara Houser from
First Capital Federal Credit Union writes:
"Legit. There are various industry options and standards for security measures in financial institutions, this being one of them."
Another response, from Jason Kirsch at Metro Bank, elaborates further:
"Security features on bank checks include an "MP" icon, indicating that micro-security print is used in the design. This is very small print that will break up if it is photocopied. And the lock icon to the right of the word "dollars," indicating that the check contains security features that will help detect a copy from an original."
Our next step was to test some of the claims, by putting some security features to the test.
In two different tests, we found that the claims were LEGIT.
The first test was to photocopy or scan the image of a check, to test the clarity of the microprint.
While the print was visible under magnification, the AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE type was not as clearly legible, as when viewed from the original check with a standard magnifying glass.
Our second test was another attempt to photocopy the back of a check, which claimed it could not be photocopied.
True enough. Even copied under several darkness settings, each copy attempt resulted in a completely blank piece of paper.
Lie or Legit can be seen every Tuesday on CBS 21 News at 10 on the CW15.
To submit a topic for consideration, email mikeparker@cbs21.com.
*** FOR A VIDEO VERSION OF THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.
