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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>82256</law_id><section_number>8.3A-404</section_number><catch_line>Impostors; fictitious payees</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.3A-417</reference><reference>8.4-207.2</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.3A">Commercial Code &#x2014; Negotiable Instruments</unit><unit label="part" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4">Liability of Parties</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="a"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> If an impostor, by use of the mails or otherwise, induces the issuer of an instrument to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> the instrument to the impostor, or to a person acting in concert with the impostor, by impersonating the payee of the instrument or a person authorized to act for the payee, an endorsement of the instrument by any person in the name of the payee is effective as the endorsement of the payee in favor of a person who, in good faith, pays the instrument or takes it for value or for collection. <a id="paragraph-294780" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-404/#a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> If (i) a person whose <span class="dictionary">intent</span> determines to whom an instrument is payable (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Identification of person to whom instrument is payable" href="/8.3A-110/">8.3A-110</a> (a) or (b)) does not intend the person identified as payee to have any interest in the instrument, or (ii) the person identified as payee of an instrument is a fictitious person, the following rules apply until the instrument is negotiated by special endorsement: <a id="paragraph-294781" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-404/#b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Any person in <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the instrument is its holder. <a id="paragraph-294782" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-404/#b1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> An endorsement by any person in the name of the payee stated in the instrument is effective as the endorsement of the payee in favor of a person who, in good faith, pays the instrument or takes it for value or for collection. <a id="paragraph-294783" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-404/#b2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> Under subsection (a) or (b), an endorsement is made in the name of a payee if (i) it is made in a name substantially similar to that of the payee or (ii) the instrument, whether or not endorsed, is deposited in a depositary bank to an account in a name substantially similar to that of the payee. <a id="paragraph-294784" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-404/#c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d"><p><span class="prefix-number">d.</span> With respect to an instrument to which subsection (a) or (b) applies, if a person paying the instrument or taking it for value or for collection fails to exercise ordinary care in paying or taking the instrument and that failure substantially contributes to loss resulting from payment of the instrument, the person bearing the loss may recover from the person failing to exercise ordinary care to the extent the failure to exercise ordinary care contributed to the loss. <a id="paragraph-294785" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-404/#d"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 6-361; 1956, c. 149; 1964, c. 219, &#xA7; 8.3-405; 1992, c. 693.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
