Someone cashed a check I did not write from my bank account

[AnnaS]

Ask your son to check with social security to see where employer wages posted against his social security account and with the Division of Motor Vehicle to see if someone is using his SS#.

The most error's with social security number are the last four numbers.

Yes, I forgot we had also gone to SS office to report this - this was fine also. It might have been an honest mistake with the numbers. My sister was recently hospitalized (again she is terminally ill and on a lot of medication) and she could not remember her SS# - the clerk said not to worry but I did not want her to give the wrong info./#.

Thank you.

 

[AnnaS]

I hope they reimburse you the $100 soon and they will.

I worked for almost 6 years many years ago with Chase Manhattan Investigations and every single incident gets reported and a file is opened. A VP would look at it and see it it needed to remain open and be investigated.

From what I am reading, this should definitely be one investigated. Years ago, he would have been brought in and given a polygraph. An honest mistake is always possible but not sure I buy his story either.

 

[ada903]

Thanks Anna. This was a mistake, but not an honest one!

I hope they reimburse you the $100 soon and they will.

I worked for almost 6 years many years ago with Chase Manhattan Investigations and every single incident gets reported and a file is opened. A VP would look at it and see it it needed to remain open and be investigated.

From what I am reading, this should definitely be one investigated. Years ago, he would have been brought in and given a polygraph. An honest mistake is always possible but not sure I buy his story either.

 

[ace2000]

I usually check in on TUG a couple of times a day, and have just skipped over this thread. I've read the whole thing this morning and it's been an interesting read.

I'll tell you another one to be careful of... watch carefully when you write a check for over the amount of purchase at the grocery store.

I had three incidents over a period of a couple of weeks where the cashier 'forgot' to give me my cash. I had to specifically ask for it each time. Well, another time, I was engaged in conversation with the cashier, and was not thinking about the cash. I walked out of the store without my $20, and realized it late that evening. The next day, I called the store and the manager told me that all of the cash drawers balanced out (I'm sure they did) and there was nothing that could be done. It was only $20... but, still not good.

 

[ada903]

You bet! I do most of my shopping at Costco, where I never need to check anything, but for smaller items I sometimes stop at Winco's in town. I can't tell you how many times the cashier has scanned an item twice, I think I had it happen four times in a year. These days you have to watch your every step, including the bank or grocery store!

I usually check in on TUG a couple of times a day, and have just skipped over this thread. I've read the whole thing this morning and it's been an interesting read.

I'll tell you another one to be careful of... watch carefully when you write a check for over the amount of purchase at the grocery store.

I had three incidents over a period of a couple of weeks where the cashier 'forgot' to give me my cash. I had to specifically ask for it each time. Well, another time, I was engaged in conversation with the cashier, and was not thinking about the cash. I walked out of the store without my $20, and realized it late that evening. The next day, I called the store and the manager told me that all of the cash drawers balanced out (I'm sure they did) and there was nothing that could be done. It was only $20... but, still not good.

 

[MuranoJo]

Mentioned this thread to my Sis today, and she told me the story of how she deposited $500 in cash one day via drive-through, was in a rush and didn't check the receipt until about 5 miles from the bank. When she did check it, she realized her receipt said she had only deposited $400.--of course she spun around and went back to the bank (inside this time). Since it was cash, they had to go through the register as she waited, but finally found she was right.

Always pays to be diligent about checking those receipts--something I need to do a better job at myself.

 

[Kona Lovers]

The teller accessed account without authorization, which is theft. Because it was caught and rectified does not change the initial willful action. The reaction of the manager of blowing the incident off would have caused me to demand my funds immediately and discontinue business with this institution. This was not an error. This was a deliberate act. The bank must have policies in place to check out teller shortages/overages at the end of the day. By not following policy and then blowing it off as these happen all the time is not acceptable. Change banks now!!
We should be vigilant because human error will happen. This was not an accident. This was a decision not to follow policy and cover a teller mistake by unauthorized accesses of a customers account.
.

Probably a case of the teller being the manager's relative or in-law or such.

 

[Jennie]

A bit off topic but...

When I was a starving college student, working two jobs to survive, I had a checking account at a small local bank. This was over 40 years ago when my rent was $38. a month.

I received my monthly statement by mail and it showed a deposit of over $700. which I definitely did not make. (That would be worth thousands in today's money). I was too busy to go to the bank in person and twice when I called, I was put on a long hold. I figured they would catch the error anyhow.

But month after month, the statements showed that the money was still there. My best friend dared me to go in person and "just see" if I would be able to withdraw it. I had about $50. of my own money in in the account so I asked the teller if I could withdraw $60.. I was surprised when she said that there was no limit on the amount I could withdraw, I could take everything out but that would result in the closing of the account. Well, I walked out with nothing, and owed my friend $5.00 because she bet that I could take it, and I was sure I couldn't (or might be arrested if I tried).

Subsequently I was tempted but I was really too honest to take any of the money. But I left it there "just in case something catastrophic happened" and I really, really needed the money. I kept expecting the bank to find the error.

Two years later I wanted to get this off my conscience (and out of the reach of temptation) but I felt it was "too late" to report the error. And maybe I violated some law by not doing it when it happened. So I just withdrew my own part of the money and never did any further business there. When the statements kept coming, I finally took one of them and wrote: "moved, left no forwarding address" and dropped it in a street corner mailbox.

Many years later, I saw my name on the state's list of unclaimed funds. Sure enough, the bank's name was listed with $700. due to me. (It was a non interest account). I eventually claimed the money and donated it to charity.

What a long way the banks have come from the way they operated in those days.

 

[ada903]

Jennie,

Thanks for honestly sharing your story - in most cases, the mistakes are not in the consumer's favor

When I was a starving college student, working two jobs to survive, I had a checking account at a small local bank. This was over 40 years ago when my rent was $38. a month.

I received my monthly statement by mail and it showed a deposit of over $700. which I definitely did not make. (That would be worth thousands in today's money). I was too busy to go to the bank in person and twice when I called, I was put on a long hold. I figured they would catch the error anyhow.

But month after month, the statements showed that the money was still there. My best friend dared me to go in person and "just see" if I would be able to withdraw it. I had about $50. of my own money in in the account so I asked the teller if I could withdraw $60.. I was surprised when she said that there was no limit on the amount I could withdraw, I could take everything out but that would result in the closing of the account. Well, I walked out with nothing, and owed my friend $5.00 because she bet that I could take it, and I was sure I couldn't (or might be arrested if I tried).

Subsequently I was tempted but I was really too honest to take any of the money. But I left it there "just in case something catastrophic happened" and I really, really needed the money. I kept expecting the bank to find the error.

Two years later I wanted to get this off my conscience (and out of the reach of temptation) but I felt it was "too late" to report the error. And maybe I violated some law by not doing it when it happened. So I just withdrew my own part of the money and never did any further business there. When the statements kept coming, I finally took one of them and wrote: "moved, left no forwarding address" and dropped it in a street corner mailbox.

Many years later, I saw my name on the state's list of unclaimed funds. Sure enough, the bank's name was listed with $700. due to me. (It was a non interest account). I eventually claimed the money and donated it to charity.

What a long way the banks have come from the way they operated in those days.

 

[Kona Lovers]

When I was a starving college student, working two jobs to survive, I had a checking account at a small local bank. This was over 40 years ago when my rent was $38. a month.

I received my monthly statement by mail and it showed a deposit of over $700. which I definitely did not make. (That would be worth thousands in today's money). I was too busy to go to the bank in person and twice when I called, I was put on a long hold. I figured they would catch the error anyhow.

But month after month, the statements showed that the money was still there. My best friend dared me to go in person and "just see" if I would be able to withdraw it. I had about $50. of my own money in in the account so I asked the teller if I could withdraw $60.. I was surprised when she said that there was no limit on the amount I could withdraw, I could take everything out but that would result in the closing of the account. Well, I walked out with nothing, and owed my friend $5.00 because she bet that I could take it, and I was sure I couldn't (or might be arrested if I tried).

Subsequently I was tempted but I was really too honest to take any of the money. But I left it there "just in case something catastrophic happened" and I really, really needed the money. I kept expecting the bank to find the error.

Two years later I wanted to get this off my conscience (and out of the reach of temptation) but I felt it was "too late" to report the error. And maybe I violated some law by not doing it when it happened. So I just withdrew my own part of the money and never did any further business there. When the statements kept coming, I finally took one of them and wrote: "moved, left no forwarding address" and dropped it in a street corner mailbox.

Many years later, I saw my name on the state's list of unclaimed funds. Sure enough, the bank's name was listed with $700. due to me. (It was a non interest account). I eventually claimed the money and donated it to charity.

What a long way the banks have come from the way they operated in those days.

A similar thing happened to my parents with a small, local bank where they used to live, and when they moved and went to close the account because of relocation (this bank didn't have any branches where they moved), they kept telling the bank they didn't have the amount the bank said they did, and it was like the bank wouldn't let them leave without taking the extra money. Nothing ever came of it, either. That was about 16 years ago.

Marty

 

[pjrose]

When I was a starving college student, working two jobs to survive, I had a checking account at a small local bank. This was over 40 years ago when my rent was $38. a month.

I received my monthly statement by mail and it showed a deposit of over $700. which I definitely did not make. . . .

Meanwhile, somebody was probably complaining about their missing $700.

I worked in the billing dept of a huge insurance company, before accounts were computerized. Each customer's account - charges and payments - was detailed on a card, filed in alphabetical order with little colored clips for what month they were to be billed. A few extra cards listed payments that had somehow been unidentified. I got a letter from a customer asking why we kept billing him $xxx and saying he had paid $xxx on such-and-such a date. $xxx was listed on one of the unidentified cards, paid on roughly the same date. It was obviously his payment, that hadn't been correctly posted to his account.

I asked my supervisor for stationary to write him and also asked how to correct the error. I was told that we couldn't do that, it wasn't our job. Whose was it, then? Who should we notify? I don't recall her answer, but I do remember that NOTHING was done to fix the error on this person's account - the nameless card with a payment of $xxx sat in the drawer, and the customer's account continued to show an outstanding balance of $xxx.

I was only there for a one-semester college "work study" type program, so left soon thereafter, keeping with me that memory of the workings of some bureaucracies.

 

[Talent312]

A Bank Error in My Favor...

Back in the days when my paycheck was issued on paper, I'd walk across the street to deposit it at a bank branch. Once, after depositing it to checking, I told the teller that I meant to put it in savings. He said no problem, I'll just transfer it.

I looked at the receipts while walking out and saw that, when doing the transfer, he had mistakenly credited both checking and savings with the amount, so now I had 3x my paycheck, twice in checking and once in savings.

Needless to say, I went back in and suggested a correction.