Question of the Week: NEW Treasury Check Verification Tool

Question: 

We have been experiencing a lot of Treasury check fraud involving altered payees. How can we verify that the payee on these checks is legitimate?    

Answer: 

The Bureau of Fiscal Service recently issued a notice to financial institutions that beginning Nov. 18, 2024, payee information on U.S. Treasury checks can now be verified using the new secure Application Programming Interface (API). 

To get API access, review the terms and conditions, complete the application, and submit it to the Bureau of Fiscal Service via email ([email protected]).  Approval may take a couple of weeks, but once access is granted, you can obtain the payee and other information on U.S. Treasury checks issued within the last 13 months.    

Previously, only the public-facing Treasury Check Verification System (TCVS) website could be used. The public-facing TCVS can be used to verify the authenticity of a Treasury check using the check symbol and serial number, check number, check date, and payment amount, but the ability to verify the payee’s name is NOT something that can be done. 

If you have questions regarding this new enhancement, email [email protected].