How To Verify a Cashier’s Check: Are They Safe? (2024)

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Unlike a personal check, a cashier’s check is a direct obligation of the bank. As a result, there is virtually no risk that it will bounce or otherwise be invalid. Cashier’s checks are commonly used in significant financial transactions for things such as the down payment on a home, buying a used car, or when sending a secure payment by mail for other services or goods. Along with certified checks, this type of payment is typically considered as good as cash but much safer.

How To Verify a Cashier’s Check

You can take precautions to ensure that a cashier’s check is legitimate. To avoid being a fraud victim, follow these steps to verify one:

1. Don’t accept if you suspect a scam.
2. Examine the cashier’s check and look for red flags like typos.
3. Visit or call the issuing bank and ask for verification.

Here’s a closer look at the steps you should take to avoid scams involving cashier’s checks.

1. Don’t Accept If You Suspect a Scam

One common cashier’s check scam involves someone overpaying for an online purchase — so if you sell something and receive a cashier’s check for more than the purchase price, don’t accept it.

For example, a buyer based outside the U.S. sends a cashier’s check seemingly from a U.S.-based bank and asks you to refund the overage separately. Federal law requires that funds from a deposited cashier’s check be made available in one business day. By the time the fraudulent check is discovered days or weeks later, the buyer is nowhere to be found. Because you made the deposit, the bank can hold you liable for the funds.

2. Examine the Cashier’s Check

Cashier’s checks often include a distinct feature specific to the bank and often tell you what to look for. If the check states there is a watermark or microprint, look for that on the check. If it’s missing, the check might not be valid.

Typos are another giveaway that a check is phony, as fake cashier’s checks sometimes come from senders overseas.

Here’s how a cashier’s check typically looks:

3. Visit or Call the Bank

Only the bank that issued a cashier’s check can truly verify it. Keep in mind that you can’t verify a cashier’s check online, but other options are available.

If the check is issued from a bank that has a branch near you, there’s no better approach than to take the check into the bank and ask for verification. At a larger bank, cashier’s check verification would follow a set process. There’s no charge to verify a cashier’s check.

If you can’t visit in person to trace a cashier’s check, independently confirm the phone number of the bank as listed on the check, then call the bank and ask to verify the check. All banks require these pieces of information to verify a cashier’s check:

• Check number
• Issuance date
• Payment amount

Are Cashier’s Checks Safe?

Cashier’s checks are considered a safe and secure form of payment from your bank, credit union or other financial institution. Your bank guarantees the payment even for large amounts.

Here are a few key takeaways on cashier’s checks:

• This type of check means the bank guarantees the amount of the check. This means it won’t bounce or overdraw your funds.
• There are some banks, such as Wells Fargo and Capital One, where you can order cashier’s checks online.
• Sending and processing these checks can take a few business days, so keep that in mind if you’re under a time crunch to make a payment.

Final Take To GO

The bottom line is that cashier’s checks are a safe way to send a large amount of money to make a purchase. They remove the middleman as the bank guarantees the payment, so there are fewer risks. That said, make sure you always examine a check when you receive it and take the steps to verify it just to be on the safe side.

Caitlyn Moorhead and Cynthia Measomcontributed to the reporting for this article.

This article has been updated with additional reporting since its original publication.