Man Creates Fraudulent Bank Account With Check He Found

A blank check found crumpled up in a parking lot led to an unusual set of circumstances that placed the victim and the suspect of a fraud case in the same bank at the same time.

A 39-year-old Milwaukee man reportedly found a partially filled out check with the amount of $625 written on it crumpled into a ball in the June 5. The check had the date and the amount filled in on the check, but was not endorsed and the “pay to the order of” line was empty, according to the Greenfield Police Department report.

The Milwaukee man took the check to , 4661 S. 27th St., allegedly made it out to himself, signed it and used it to open an account. That day, he was able to withdraw $15 from the account.

On June 6, the man withdrew another $200, and on June 7, he attempted to withdraw the balance of the account.

Coincidently, when the suspect was at the bank June 7, withdrawing the remaining money, the victim was at the bank trying to explain to bank employees the circumstances surrounding his missing funds.

The victim told police he began to write a rent check June 5, but stopped because he couldn’t remember how to spell his landlord’s name. He crumpled the check and threw it on the ground outside the bank.

The suspect was ordered to appear before the Milwaukee County District Attorney on Thursday, June 14.