All of a sudden, the tellerline is receiving checks where the micr line contains letters before and after the ABA # and/or the acccount # as well as before the check number. Some tellers have changed the letters to the normal symbols and taken the check for deposit, others have refused the deposit ? Is this something new ?

There are 14 characters in the E13B standard "MICR font". They are the 10 digits 0 through 9 and the four special symbols traditionally seen bracketing the ABA number and the account number.

To the best of my knowledge, there should be no letters in a MICR line. I have never seen this before, and I wouldn't accept such a check for deposit.

Thank you for replying BurntSienna. My thought is that they are outright fraudlent or some company without a clue is printing and selling cheap check inventory.

Anyone else seeing these ?
The copy I have is Bremer Bank N.A

I've seen them also - it is usually a company printing their own checks. We inform them of the error and provide them a spec sheet.