Answer:
There is nothing in the USA PATRIOT Act that would prohibit a bank from verifying a check. Some banks have incorrectly thought that the Privacy Act prohibited them from verifying a check, but this isn't true either. I'm afraid that you are dealing with a bank that is very confused and uninformed.
[Editor's note: Banks are required by tightened requirements on security of customer information to be reasonably sure of the validity of a request to verify a check.]
First published on BankersOnline.com 11/07/05