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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1986)
Friday, October 24, 1986/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local BUS ?8<bH0WD!ltof Students warned to guard against check fraud cs leas ? — possibly ati ?kmg to extract immigration i iied with the Ki kery of the son : We claim toki lof all ideas; ilv can strer.it' notables of y:. reef f rom emp’i il to apply fora hi r ran-Waller 1: Marquez, thozi rfos Fuetuei lovelist, and re By Mary Ann Fisher Reporter Paying bills with checks is a way of life for most people. Yet few peo ple realize that check fraud is a ma nor problem in Texas, and they could be setting themselves up for fraud each time they write a check. Charles Zickerman, sales rep resentative for Hedman F&E Check Protectors, educates compa nies and individuals about fraudu lent checks and methods criminals use to forge them. He said some Texas companies have gone bankrupt because of check fraud and believes students need to know about check fraud so they can guard against it in the business world. Dr. Barbara Morris, accounting professor at Texas A&M, said Texas has a problem with check fraud. “Check fraud is a particularly pervasive problem in Texas be cause of the bad economy,” Morris said. “Students need to be aware of the problem so they can advise cli ents (when they enter the business world) and know what’s available to protect them.” Earlier this semester, Zickerman spoke to A&M accounting students, and Morris said she would like to have him speak every semester. Jennifer Rankin, an accounting major, said the seminar was inter esting and useful. She said she found the most use ful information was that a person shouldn’t have their names printed on their checks the same way they sign their checks. Zickerman used the example of a person with the name Edward E. Hoffman. He said Hoffman should have his name printed on his checks as E.E. Hoffman instead of Edward Hoffman. If a person stole a check from Hoffman, he would most likely forge Hoffman’s signature as Hof fman’s name appears on the top of the check, E.E. Hoffman. When the bank received that check, it would know that it was a forgery because the bank has it on record that Hof fman signs his checks as Edward Hoffman, not E.E. Hoffman. Zickerman said that by law the only thing a bank is responsible for is the signature. And even then, if the forgery is a good one, the bank almost always wins and the individ ual suffers the loss, he said. “Most people don’t read all the fine print when they open an ac count,” Zickerman said. “Banks are generally freeing themselves of lia bility when a person opens an ac count.” He said there are six U.S. Su preme Court decisions that favor banks. Those decisions indicate that when people write checks they must exercise all care possible to prevent fraud. The courts say the loss is the indi vidual’s responsibility if he writes checks carelessly and leaves himself open to fraud. Zickerman added that forgeries are hard to prove because some people can skillfully copy another person’s signature. Signatures also can be obtained in other ways, he said, and demon strated how easily signatures can be obtained' by lifting them off a piece of paper with wax paper. Zickerman said a serious prob lem with check fraud is the short prison sentences offenders receive — they usually serve light sentences and are then released. He said the danger of these short sentences is that while offenders are in prison, they almost always learn more sophisticated methods of check fraud which are more dif ficult for police to detect. He cited an example of a man who met another check-fraud of fender in prison. While they were serving their sentences, they developed a scheme they implemented after they were released, he said, and police worked for months to uncover the scheme. Rankin said another interesting fact she learned was how household chemicals and a cotton swab have been used to erase ink on checks. With this method, a forger can alter dollar amounts and the parties to which the checks are made out to, she said. Zickerman said “safety checks” can guard against this type of forg ery because they have the word “cancel” printed on the paper un der the dye of the checks. Zickerman demonstrated that A T exas A&M student looks at examples of forged checks. Photo by Anthony S. Casper when a person tries to remove the ink from the paper, the word “can cel” appears and voids the check. But this precaution isn’t a guar antee, he said, since certain chemi cals can cover the word “cancel” and restore the check to its normal appearance. Zickerman said the best method to guard against fraud is to use equipment which cuts into the pa per fibers. Names and dollar amounts can never be altered with this method, he said. He said A&M uses this method. Clements criticizes Texas prison system, blames White rftignations, too.” ■Clements on Thursday continued his attack oh Democratic incumbent Gov. Mark White’s ■ HOUSTON (AP) — Republican gubernato- B/candidate Hill (dements said Thursday that Texas Corrections Director O.L. McCotter, Mc- H)tter’s top aides and the members of the H>ard of Corrections should be fired for mis managing the prison system. ■“1 can’t personally as governor terminate Me - ^Htter, but ... he comes under the authority of tnadian write! the board,” Clements said. “I will ask for those ) was denied r. I idow of slain Qi >r AllendeGod i; at the Univcrd :t, she wassim 'ivedofhetvbi ed trom enuul communists, (bl the right is foel nation is sootfel ed a visa. Out si >erto d'Aukii'T idor’s far rigtit he infamous squalid little more than mi turing. He tars' ‘ United Stales ud sillv toi Soviet Union, out governmi i s because xception lo.tl seliefs, notmtal et by keep:.;' . I Carran-Waltti :» implement! e behavenofcj lans. Thevseiid use they feared* tlv, we seize pet* 'ton Post Writer'[r' ( handling of prison issues, concentrating on what he says is a dramatic increase in the early release of inmates, which he has labeled the most sensitive issue of the campaign. “As a result of Mark White’s irresponsible leadership, thousands of prisoners are being re leased,” Clements said. “The average criminal now serves one of five days beind bars,” Clements said, listing 2,070 murderers, rapists and sex offenders and 13,593 robbers and burglars among inmates re leased early. Clements, who earlier called for McCotter’s ouster during the primary campaign, also said White should recommend McCotter’s firing. McCotter, in Austin to attend a prison board meeting, said he does not respond to political rhetoric. “I just don’t think the prison system ought to be a political football. . . . We’re running good, safe constitutional prisons,” he said. “We’ve made tremendous strides in the last two years.” The prison issue surfaced earlier this month with the airing of a Clements television com mercial in which a Dallas woman, Susan Key, complains that an inmate paroled by White tried to rape her attacked her just two months after he was released. The Dallas Times Herald on Thursday re ported the Corrections Department has been changing rules to allow the speedy release of prisoners. Clements, speaking on a Houston radio talk show early Thursday, also said he would ask that the members of the Public Utility Commis sion also quit. Newsweek insert delayed 1 week Because of a last minute adver tising insert, the October issue of Newsweek On Campus magazine was not inserted in Thursday’s is sue of The Battalion. The issue, which features a two-page article on Texas A&M, will be inserted Oct. 30. If you're considering retirement. Consider Walden. he residenjsof >r accepting on! | e excellent atmosphere, ■nedand perl./1 lifferences. s we only have lany exciting is Aggies, ps as Aggies,aii| iastn of the nunity tothe will be removed and scattered d Potential are Us freedom of tin "rica, and this I*' Come home to Aggieland. Our stereotypes of senior adults (and retire ment housing) are fading. Thank goodness. Seniors are retired from routine, sure. But they are still busy, active and alive. Seniors want to travel, to go, to learn, to grow. And they want a carefree environment that supports independent living in a safe, secure surrounding without daily drudgery. If you are considering a retirement move, please give us a visit or a call. We are a warm, caring community built for active senior adults. staff reserves ita'-' ■n the author's#'' m t telephone nw#' Amenities include: • close to Texas A&M and its educational, cultural and championship sports activities • staff on duty 24 hours a day • lunch and dinner served with style (and private kitchens, too) • transportation • laundry and dry cleaning pick up • weekly housekeeping • activities, travel, library, exercise, pool • parking, elevators, convenience store, etc Walden Dr. Jarvis and Alma Miller, managing directors Walden on Memorial 2410 Memorial Drive/Bryan 823-7914 9-Piece Shrimp Dinner Special $4.99 Limited Time Only^ It’s heaven for shrimp lovers. Nine of our large, juicy, batter- fried shrimp with cocktail sauce for dipping. Served with our freshly-made cole slaw and golden fryes. Enjoy it today! Good at: 1808 Texas Ave., College Station & 3224 S. Texas Ave., Bryan