payee

On this occasion, McLaughlin requested that the payee line be left blank on the cheque - and instead of purchasing the memorial items - McLaughlin filled in his own name and pocketed the £1,000.

He could also alter payee account details without “authorisation or verification”, which he did to transfer money to himself.

This is a return to basics, but it’s worth revisiting: When writing the payee’s name, use the entire line or draw a line to the end so that nobody can add an additional name or more information.

If a bank does not know the payee, it generally sends a paper check on your behalf, but the checks may have your account number and other information on them, leaving them susceptible to fraud.

But what happens if the payee cannot accept electronic payments?