The term 'PASSED CROOKEDLY, AS A CHECK' can be summarized by the crossword solution 'KITED, ' which is a five-letter word. Kiting is a form of fraud in which a person uses a check or other financial instrument to obtain money or credit without having sufficient funds to cover the amount of the instrument. The perpetrator passes the check or instrument from one account to another, hoping that by the time the check is presented for payment, the funds will have been deposited into the account.