Samaritan shopper returns $16k of travellers cheques to owner

Traveller's cheques, like this one issued in 1970, have no expiry date. Photo / Getty Images

An unwitting Samaritan doing their gift shopping became part of a "Christmas blessing" when he reunited someone with $17600 in lost travellers' cheques.

Last week the Foley Police Department reported the unusual case after the shopper got in touch to say he had made a discovery in the bottom of a second hand suitcase.

Having picked up the travel case from an Alabama thrift shop the new owner discovered a zipped up pouch at the bottom of the case.

According to the police department the new owner had gone to "clean it for an upcoming trip" when he looked into the pouch and put his hands on a pile of cheques for a total of US$11570, or around $17600.

Each of the cheques had been signed by a woman named Karen, and were yet to be cashed.

With the help of the local police department, he was able to track down the original owner of the cheques. Although she did not recognise the suitcase, she was surprised and delighted to be reunited with the cheques, two decades after last seeing them.

"Karen McGurk advised the detective that in 1997 she had purchased travellers checks but that her home was burglarized in the early 2000's and someone had stolen the checks," said the department.

A much bigger surprise was the fact that the cheques were still valid.

McGurk was not aware that there was no expiry date on the cheques and she would still be able to cash them in.

The detective from the Foley Police Department was informed that McGurk was particularly grateful, as she "had some costly medical expenses come up, that very day, and she didn't have the money for the procedure."

McGurk collected the cheques on the 11th with thanks to their discoverer and the work of the police.

The good Samaritan shopper was not identified, but hopefully is in for a windfall of good luck after what the department described as "definitely a Christmas blessing".

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT DECEMBER 12, 2019 POC: Deputy Chief Thurston Bullock On December 9, 2019 a...

Posted by Foley Police Department on Thursday, 12 December 2019

What you should know about travellers' cheques:

• While fewer travellers are opting to pack cheques, they can still be useful for taking currency abroad.

• As a prepaid bond, a travellers' cheque will never bounce.

• They were used as an added security for travellers who didn't want to carry wads of foreign currency.

• First issued in 1772, the cheques are unusual in the fact that the never expire.
The only challenge is finding somewhere that will still take them.

• In spite of these advantages few places still accepting the cheques, that are now all but redundant in the age of online banking and currency cards.

• However, if lost your money isn't gone for good. If stolen or misplaced, a cheque should be able to be cancelled and replaced by the issuing bank.

• Perhaps someone should have told McGurk, twenty years ago.

• To find out where to redeem old cheques American Express has created an online tool to help: aetclocator.com