$1000 check

AuntPeggy

AuntPeggy

Final Approach
PoA Supporter
Joined
May 23, 2006
Messages
8,479
Location
Oklahoma
Display Name
Display name:
Namaste
This morning a co-worker was on the phone to his bank, getting louder and angrier by the minute.

A while back he had sent a $10 donation to a charity.
He got his bank statement and it said the check was for $1000.
The photo copy of the check clearly showed that the $10.00 amount was crossed out and replaced above it with $1000.00
The photo copy also showed that "Ten and 00/100" was crossed out and replaced above with "One Thousand and 00/100"
The copy of the back of the check showed a personal signature of an individual instead of the payee on the front of the check.

The charity has no record of receiving a check from him.
They have no idea how it got cashed.

The bank offered to send him an affidavit to fill out.
They said that his account would be reimbursed for the $1000. It will take approximately 30 days after the affidavit is received.

What else should he do?
 
It sounds like he handled it right and it sounds like he contacted the charity (in case they know who the thief is). You can file a police report (or the bank can), but low dollar white collar crimes are rarely followed up on, unless there is a string of them. I would probably still notify the police.
 
He should just forget about it. Democrats do this to working people all the time day after day. It's his duty be happy to help whomever cashed it.
 
I would suggest contacting the AG's office. He, the bank, and the charity are victims of fraud.

I would also close that account immediately. Since you know the person who cashed the check has no scruples, you also know he could just as well dummy up checks with the account number and do the same thing again.

I hope he has the $1,000 to cover the check.

My experience has been the bank doesn't care a wit what is on the face of the check. They will take it on a bar napkin as long as they have a valid account to charge. I have had checks pass without a TO, a date, or even a signature. Many go through without endorsements. I have even had checks misdirected go through some other creditors account.

If I had the money, I would BE A BANK. It's a licence to steal.
 
silver-eagle said:
I would suggest contacting the AG's office. He, the bank, and the charity are victims of fraud.

I would also close that account immediately. Since you know the person who cashed the check has no scruples, you also know he could just as well dummy up checks with the account number and do the same thing again.

I hope he has the $1,000 to cover the check.

My experience has been the bank doesn't care a wit what is on the face of the check. They will take it on a bar napkin as long as they have a valid account to charge. I have had checks pass without a TO, a date, or even a signature. Many go through without endorsements. I have even had checks misdirected go through some other creditors account.

If I had the money, I would BE A BANK. It's a licence to steal.
Click to expand...
Actually, unless something has changed, as long as it has a correct account number, and can be verified there is no reason you cannot use a bar napkin as the paper for a check. It may be difficult to chek, but I do not believe it is illegal.
 
That's why I use a credit card whenever possible. It's the bank's money until you pay the bill.
 
The more important question is what moron teller honored the check with X'ed out info all over the face of it.
 
Last edited:
pbramlett said:
He should just forget about it. Democrats do this to working people all the time day after day. It's his duty be happy to help whomever cashed it.
Click to expand...

Absolutely uncalled for response.
 
My position would be that the check is a forgery, and the bank is liable for the funds. "Forgery" does not refer only to the signature; but also to any other material term of the check.

Now, had the amount been left blank (for example), the bank could easily claim that the account-holder had been negligent, and the bank, relieved of liability.

The bank will always try to get out of it. They should not be able to do so, if appropriate pressure is applied.

---

By the way, the bank can likely charge back whomever it is that accepted the clearly-forged check; and if they accepted it over their own counter, well, they have some training to do.
 
See, I did learn something in law school (where to look).

I would go to the bank, speak to a manager, and tell them to credit $990 to the account while they investigate. If the won't, tell them that under the UCC, they are liable for all costs and fees.

Uniform Commercial Code

U.C.C. - ARTICLE 3 - NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS
..PART 4. LIABILITY OF PARTIES

§ 3-407. ALTERATION.


  • (a) "Alteration" means (i) an unauthorized change in an instrument that purports to modify in any respect the obligation of a party, or (ii) an unauthorized addition of words or numbers or other change to an incomplete instrument relating to the obligation of a party.
  • (b) Except as provided in subsection (c), an alteration fraudulently made discharges a party whose obligation is affected by the alteration unless that party assents or is precluded from asserting the alteration. No other alteration discharges a party, and the instrument may be enforced according to its original terms.
  • (c) A payor bank or drawee paying a fraudulently altered instrument or a person taking it for value, in good faith and without notice of the alteration, may enforce rights with respect to the instrument (i) according to its original terms, or (ii) in the case of an incomplete instrument altered by unauthorized completion, according to its terms as completed.
Click to expand...
 
Old Geek said:
It's usually the merchant's money, not the bank's. A fine distinction unless you are a merchant.
Click to expand...
It is the merchant's money until settlement is paid, though any dispute may result in a chargeback to the merchant. It is a fair point.
 
murphey said:
Absolutely uncalled for response.
Click to expand...

I agree. It's politicians in general (but mostly Democrats), and they are far more covert about it, which is why people think that they can get "free" stuff from the government.


JKG
 
There is a scam going on around here where crooks will look for mailboxes with flags up, steal checks in the outgoing mail, modify them, then cash. Likewise checks going to businesses.

http://wtop.com/?nid=52&sid=3181831

Probably worthwhile to report to the police.
 
wsuffa said:
There is a scam going on around here where crooks will look for mailboxes with flags up, steal checks in the outgoing mail, modify them, then cash. Likewise checks going to businesses.

http://wtop.com/?nid=52&sid=3181831

Probably worthwhile to report to the police.
Click to expand...
I am concerned with mailbox theft so I use a P O BOX and have for years. I never leave outgoing mail in the box if it has ANY personal details in it. Just as easy to drop it at the P O when I pick up my mail (which by the way is at a 24*7 access location).
 
JGoodish said:
I agree. It's politicians in general (but mostly Democrats), and they are far more covert about it, which is why people think that they can get "free" stuff from the government.


JKG
Click to expand...

Right, Republicans get refineries and hydro electric plants and contracts for billions of dollars of military hardware that fails to meet spec.:rolleyes2::rofl:
 
So let's take the politics to Spin Zone & leave them out of this thread.
 
He certainly needs to call the police it is fraud and he is the victim. Without a police report, many banks aren't too keen on replacing the money.:dunno: I give my college student daughter an allowance every month to pay her rent and living expenses, this month she deposited it twice via smart phone. It took over a week to get the credit back to my account.:rolleyes: Of course she would have gladly spent it.:D
 
silver-eagle said:
I am concerned with mailbox theft so I use a P O BOX and have for years. I never leave outgoing mail in the box if it has ANY personal details in it. Just as easy to drop it at the P O when I pick up my mail (which by the way is at a 24*7 access location).
Click to expand...

We live in the middle of BFE and the first thing I did when we moved here is get a PO Box. No way I'd want mail---either inbound or outbound---sitting in my mailbox especially since when we officed out of the house we regularly received six figure checks and sent out 5 figures.

I always found it "funny" though that the USPS charges me $60/year for a PO Box.

Let's see...for zero dollars they'll pay someone to drive my mail 15 miles across the county and drop it into my mailbox. But I have to pay them $60/yr to walk 30 feet across the building and stuff it in my PO Box.

:dunno:
 
timwinters said:
We live in the middle of BFE and the first thing I did when we moved here is get a PO Box. No way I'd want mail---either inbound or outbound---sitting in my mailbox especially since when we officed out of the house we regularly received six figure checks and sent out 5 figures.

I always found it "funny" though that the USPS charges me $60/year for a PO Box.

Let's see...for zero dollars they'll pay someone to drive my mail 15 miles across the county and drop it into my mailbox. But I have to pay them $60/yr to walk 30 feet across the building and stuff it in my PO Box.

:dunno:
Click to expand...

Government operations aren't supposed to make sense! :mad2:
 
timwinters said:
We live in the middle of BFE and the first thing I did when we moved here is get a PO Box. No way I'd want mail---either inbound or outbound---sitting in my mailbox especially since when we officed out of the house we regularly received six figure checks and sent out 5 figures.

I always found it "funny" though that the USPS charges me $60/year for a PO Box.

Let's see...for zero dollars they'll pay someone to drive my mail 15 miles across the county and drop it into my mailbox. But I have to pay them $60/yr to walk 30 feet across the building and stuff it in my PO Box.

:dunno:
Click to expand...

Wouldn't BFE be less likely to have anyone even within miles know anything about your mailbox?

I can't imagine big check cashing rings are running hundreds of miles of rural routes, gathering up checks from mailboxes hoping for a big payday.

Just wondering. Seems odd to worry about it. And they do make mailboxes that once the mail is dropped in them it's generally locked up. They're usually just thin metal and wafer locks (read: pickable by any idiot with a lock wrench and a rake) but some are decent, stronger and able to be sunk into concrete...

Although doing a big security mailbox capable of holding packages, kinda highlights in a rural area, that there's something worth messing with in said mailbox, or that the property owner isn't around much.

POS mailbox leaning over like its barely standing gathers a lot less attention and stuff is hidden in plain sight.

Another downside to the security mailboxes is that there's usually an outgoing mail shelf that's not locked but I've had mail carriers who couldn't figure out where to look for the outgoing mail when the flag was up on a total cheapie security mailbox from Home Depot.

I swear, if it weren't for vandalism, the old fashioned door slot made the most sense for home delivery. An added bonus was that you had to get your stretching in daily to pick the mess of advertisements and junk up off the floor. ;)
 
denverpilot said:
Wouldn't BFE be less likely to have anyone even within miles know anything about your mailbox?

I can't imagine big check cashing rings are running hundreds of miles of rural routes, gathering up checks from mailboxes hoping for a big payday.
Click to expand...

You haven't lived amongst the white-trash meth-heads have you, Nate?

:goofy:
 
Henning said:
Sure he has, everyone does whether they know it or not.
Click to expand...

True dat.

Missouri has a reputation of being the Meth capital but some of that reputation is because local LEO's work hard busting them...the more busts...the bigger the reputation...catch 22.

BTW, I meant to include the word "rural" to my retort, i.e.:

timwinters said:
You haven't lived amongst the rural white-trash meth-heads have you, Nate?
:goofy:
Click to expand...
But maybe that's redundant. ;)
 
Henning said:
Sure he has, everyone does whether they know it or not.
Click to expand...
Exactly. I know someone who rented out his house in a middle-class suburb of Denver which subsequently became a meth lab.
 
Everskyward said:
Exactly. I know someone who rented out his house in a middle-class suburb of Denver which subsequently became a meth lab.
Click to expand...
Yes but

tumblr_mdvpc4co5i1rlvxzmo1_1280.jpg


And sorry Peggy - what was this thread about again? :rofl:
 
N747JB said:
He certainly needs to call the police it is fraud and he is the victim. Without a police report, many banks aren't too keen on replacing the money.:dunno: I give my college student daughter an allowance every month to pay her rent and living expenses, this month she deposited it twice via smart phone. It took over a week to get the credit back to my account.:rolleyes: Of course she would have gladly spent it.:D
Click to expand...

When my daughter was in college, I did the EFT into her account from my account on my computer at home. Then she could write checks for her bills.

Of course, I believe that the double deposit was unintentional. She probably got a fail message and resubmitted, when it really processed the first time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top