Has anyone gotten a valid check that looked fake?

I received a financial aid refund check from my school via BankMobile, drawn from a bank in North Carolina. The check looks fake even though I’ve called multiple times to confirm it’s valid. It’s printed on what feels like regular thin copy paper (blue on one side), mentions a security mark that isn’t actually visible, and just has an overall strange appearance.

When I tried to cash it, the worker verified it by calling the number on the check, but they still refused to cash it—and honestly, I don’t blame them. I only got a check because I don’t have a checking account, but now I’m planning to open one and have them cancel and redeposit the funds electronically instead.

My question is, why would a valid check look so fake? It’s making me anxious even though I’ve confirmed it’s real. Has anyone else seen checks like this?

A check’s appearance or the paper it’s printed on doesn’t determine its validity. It’s even valid to email a PDF of a check and print it out yourself. That said, not everyone is required to accept a check. Opening a checking account and switching to electronic deposits is definitely a good idea.

@DolphGabbana
Okay, that helps. Thanks!

Finn said:
@DolphGabbana
Okay, that helps. Thanks!

You could write a check on the back of a cow, and it would still be valid. A check is just a promise to pay.

Moe said:

Finn said:
@DolphGabbana
Okay, that helps. Thanks!

You could write a check on the back of a cow, and it would still be valid. A check is just a promise to pay.

I think the cow example actually came up in a class I took once.

@Hartley
Yep, that’s a real example.

@DolphGabbana
This is correct. Some companies, like Deluxe, offer eChecks that you can print on regular paper, and they’re still valid. They also sell high-security check stock, but anyone can buy it and print whatever they want on it. The material doesn’t guarantee anything.

Bill pay checks are often printed very cheaply. Do you mind sharing which bank the check is from?

Mercy said:
Bill pay checks are often printed very cheaply. Do you mind sharing which bank the check is from?

It’s from First Carolina Bank.

Finn said:

Mercy said:
Bill pay checks are often printed very cheaply. Do you mind sharing which bank the check is from?

It’s from First Carolina Bank.

That’s a small bank with just a few locations in North Carolina. They’re FDIC-insured but likely use a very simple system for issuing checks, especially if it’s a bill pay service. Based on your description, this seems like a standard bill pay check.

@Mercy
That makes sense. Thanks for explaining!

I’ve seen valid checks that look fake, and I once spotted a forged check because it looked better than the company’s usual payroll checks! Sometimes it happens because companies want to save money or their staff doesn’t know about proper check stock. If most of their payments are done via ACH, they might not put much effort into printed checks.

By the way, don’t verify the check by calling the number on it. Use a verified number for the school or the bank listed to make sure you’re not calling a fake line.

@LillyGrace
This is really helpful. Thank you for the advice!

It’s rare, but valid checks can look fake. If you had a checking account, the bank might accept it but put it on an extended hold. Once, I almost rejected a check because it used lowercase letters in the address and legal line. Turns out it was legitimate, just from a company with unusual formatting.

I work at a bank and see this all the time. Just last week, someone brought in a check printed in Comic Sans. It looked so goofy, but it was real!

Checks are still my go-to for large transactions. Some checks I’ve received have been damaged, poorly printed, or looked fake, but they were valid. I’d recommend opening a local bank account—it’s one of the few ways to cash or deposit checks without much hassle. Expect a long hold period, though.