We have had some fraudulent checks come through our bank and we have been training the tellers to identify certain aspects to question authenticity of a check. We had asked them to start looking at the routing number in the MICR line and compare it to the fraction in the upper right hand corner. Yesterday a check came through without the fraction (it is an insurance claim check). Although this check is of a low amount and as a bank are not too concerned with the loss it could cause, we are curious as to whether this is normal? Are there certain types of checks that do not have the fraction? Please Help. Thanks!

The "fraction" is really an artifact from the old hand-sorting days (pre-MICR). There's really no requirement that it be there as far as check processing is concerned.