code: public static boolean startsWithPrefix(final String input)
      {
          boolean ret = false;
          if (input != null)
          {
              ret = input.toLowerCase().startsWith(PREFIX_BIGINT_DASH_CHECKSUM);
          }
          else
          {
              ret = false;
          }
          return ret;
      }
docs: Utility to test if the input string can even -possibly- be a BigIntStringChecksum encoded.
  This is check is "necessary, but not sufficient" for the input string
  to parse correctly.
  
  @param input the string to check
  @return true if the string starts with (case-insensitive)
  BigIntStringChecksum.PREFIX_BIGINT_DASH_CHECKSUM
  false all other cases