空头支票指的是由于没有足够的银行存款或存款账户已结清而被银行拒付的支票,英语中可用Bad check/rubber check/bounced check来表示。投资百科中对其定义如下:
“Rubber check is a colloquial term used to describe a written check that does not have the funds available to be cashed by the recipient. It is also commonly known as a bounced check.”
在美国,无意开出无法兑付(原因为资金不足insufficient funds或停止支付通知单a stop-payment order )的空头支票不属于犯罪,但是也会产生罚款,例如通常由银行收取的透支费(overdraft fees),但银行也出台了一些透支保护政策,使得不小心开出空头支票的人无需就此支付费用。在有些情况下,空头支票的接收方(receipt)会对开票方(sender)索取罚金或要求其支付利息,这种情况发生的前提一般是双方之间存在某种先前的合同关系(Pre-existing contractual relationship)。
虽然一般来说无意中开出的空头支票不受法律惩罚,但故意或多次开空头发票的行为(wilful or repeat offenders)则是会受到法律惩罚的。银行和其他金融服务提供商可以通过一些数据库监控某个人或公司开空头支票的频率,频率越高,这种支票被拒绝的可能性就越大,同时,也有可能会被视为诈骗fraud,受到法律的惩罚,这种开空头支票的行为也叫check kiting (Check kiting is a form of fraud involving the sloshing of theoretical funds between two bank checking accounts. A check written to the criminal from one bank is deposited, and more importantly credited, to an account at a second bank. Because that second bank now shows a positive balance, the criminal can withdraw enough money to deposit back into the first bank before the check bounces for lack of funds.)
在美国大多数州,明知其银行存款或信用不足而制作、签发或交付空头支票以套取银行信用的行为,均构成轻罪。
转载自:红蓝律 作者:旗渡多语信息中心(出海信息服务)
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