How I can check invisible person on MSN?

What if a person is writing a traveler's check for someone else to deposit into his foreign bank account?

• Suppose that person A is from Canada, and writes a check in the amount of $500 for person B to deposit into his US bank account -- but does not travel with him? Does this mean that A is both the signer AND countersigner? It goes without saying that B's name is written on the middle line ("Pay to the order of"). Also: who writes the date at the bottom right-hand corner of the check, and when is this done? Would B have to sign his name at the BACK, to endorse the check for the purpose of deposit? It occurred to me that if A signs and countersigns the same check at once, it might not be much different or safer than cash -- since any thief could steal and cash it ... The only difference is that I believe the bank would require a photo ID, to prove that the person cashing the check really is B. Also, in the event that the check gets stolen or lost, I believe the money could be retrieved, as long as A is notified immediately -- since he would be the one with the information on original serial numbers.

• Answer:

  Yes, A is both the signer and countersigner. B's bank will not care if there is no additional information about A on the check, such as a business might require (i.d. information), so there is no need to include it if B does not want or need it. Banks accept traveler's checks for deposit from businesses all the time, and the checks are already signed and countersigned by the businesses customers, not by the business. The businesses endorse the checks to their bank accounts by signing or stamping them on the back, and B should do the same, just sign the check as the endorser. If he wants to cash the check instead of depositing it, he should endorse it only in front of the teller. A writes the date at the bottom right corner when he countersigns the check. It is the date on which the countersigning is done, not a prior or later date. For cashing the check, yes, the bank will require B's valid picture i.d., with signature matching the signature that he uses to endorse the check. Depositing the check instead of cashing it would not have to require i.d. (e.g., at an atm), but in that case the money would be in an account at the bank and not immediately available. If the deposit is made by someone other than B, and A becomes aware of this, the bank can simply block access to the funds in the account and A can recover the funds through the traveler's check company's normal recovery process. However, A cannot count on being notified immediately; a thief will not likely provide such timely notification! If the check is mailed to B, A must verify timely receipt of the check by B and notify the traveler's check company as soon as the mail appears to have been unduly delayed, to stop the check and presume it missing or stolen in the mail. The questioner does not state if the check will be in Canadian or U.S. dollars. If Canadian, the amount B receives will depend on the exchange rate at the time of the deposit.