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View Full Version : Answer me this Mr. Mike Rich


sanantoniosooner
10/27/2006, 03:42 PM
Why are banks charging to cash a check that was written by one of their members?

If you write me a check from an account in bank X, I should be able to go to bank X and cash it without any hassles.

I'm sure it's to discourage non members from using the bank, but it seem crappy to me.
GottaHavePride
10/27/2006, 03:50 PM
For some reason I was expecting the question in here to be "have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?"
bri
10/27/2006, 03:53 PM
I'm disappointed that the post didn't begin with "If that IS your real name..."
JohnnyMack
10/27/2006, 03:58 PM
Because the teller thought you looked stupid in your "Conclusive" t-shirt?
Widescreen
10/27/2006, 04:19 PM
I'm disappointed that the post didn't begin with "If that IS your real name..."
Heh. That reminds me of one of my favorite Simpsons episodes. "Now, Mr. Nahasapemapetalan, if in fact that is your real name."
soonerboomer93
10/27/2006, 05:20 PM
because it's a ****ty bank?
sanantoniosooner
10/27/2006, 05:22 PM
because it's a ****ty bank?
Bank of America has this policy, though their enforcement of the policy isn't consistent.

Another place with the same policy down here is Security Services Credit Union.
Stoop Dawg
10/27/2006, 06:19 PM
All questions concerning bank policies can be answered thus:

A: To make more money.
85Sooner
10/27/2006, 06:31 PM
Bank of America has this policy, though their enforcement of the policy isn't consistent.

Another place with the same policy down here is Security Services Credit Union.

Think thats bad???????????? Check out what BOA did to this kid!

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2006/10/25/

Kid gets a check from someone trying to buy a bike he put on craigs list.
BOA won't confirm funds over the phone so kid goes in to cash check.
Kid asks Teller if check is good.
Teller goes in back, comes back and tells kid check is good and asks him to endorse.
Police bust out and arrest kid.
The rest you have to read for yourself. I personally cancelled my Credit Card with BOA and I won't be back.
soonerboomer93
10/27/2006, 06:45 PM
um, It was a 38 year old man. He received a check for over the amount that he a greed to. It came from Canada (where BOA has no locations).

The guy even admitted it raised flags. What he should have done was contact the company the check was drawn from.
Stoop Dawg
10/27/2006, 06:49 PM
Think thats bad???????????? Check out what BOA did to this kid!

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2006/10/25/

Kid gets a check from someone trying to buy a bike he put on craigs list.
BOA won't confirm funds over the phone so kid goes in to cash check.
Kid asks Teller if check is good.
Teller goes in back, comes back and tells kid check is good and asks him to endorse.
Police bust out and arrest kid.
The rest you have to read for yourself. I personally cancelled my Credit Card with BOA and I won't be back.

Sorry, but that story is somewhat dubious.


received a check from a man for more than the cost of the bicycles

So, someone paid MORE than the cost of the bikes? This is a VERY well-known scam. A friend of mine encountered a similar scam. He was advertising for a roommate and one guy wanted to give him like $10,000 up front. My friend was to keep the rent portion then send the guy the difference. Obviously, the check was a fake. My friend contacted both the bank and the police, but since the crook was from outside the US they said nothing could be done.

The story doesn't say how much extra the check was for, but if it was a significant amount the guy is a dumb-*** for trying to cash it. Cashing the check makes you an accessory to fraud, since part of the scam is letting the guy cashing the check keep some of the money.
PhilTLL
10/27/2006, 06:49 PM
because it's a ****ty bank?

Bank of America has this policy,

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3b/Leonard-spock.jpg/300px-Leonard-spock.jpg

"Precisely, Captain."
crawfish
10/27/2006, 06:54 PM
WHO THE (#*$ IS MIKE RICH, AND WHY HASN'T HE ANSWERED YET?!?!?
soonerboomer93
10/27/2006, 07:01 PM
Actually, he agreed to sell 2 bikes for $600, and received a $2,000 check
85Sooner
10/27/2006, 07:37 PM
um, It was a 38 year old man. He received a check for over the amount that he a greed to. It came from Canada (where BOA has no locations).

The guy even admitted it raised flags. What he should have done was contact the company the check was drawn from.

Nope the check was drawn on BOA account.http://www.mycrimespace.com/plugin/tag/matthew+shinnick
85Sooner
10/27/2006, 07:39 PM
Sorry, but that story is somewhat dubious.



So, someone paid MORE than the cost of the bikes? This is a VERY well-known scam. A friend of mine encountered a similar scam. He was advertising for a roommate and one guy wanted to give him like $10,000 up front. My friend was to keep the rent portion then send the guy the difference. Obviously, the check was a fake. My friend contacted both the bank and the police, but since the crook was from outside the US they said nothing could be done.

The story doesn't say how much extra the check was for, but if it was a significant amount the guy is a dumb-*** for trying to cash it. Cashing the check makes you an accessory to fraud, since part of the scam is letting the guy cashing the check keep some of the money.

the problem was the way BOA treated the situation AFTER they realized it was a mistake and that is typical for BOA.
Frozen Sooner
10/27/2006, 08:32 PM
Why are banks charging to cash a check that was written by one of their members?

If you write me a check from an account in bank X, I should be able to go to bank X and cash it without any hassles.

I'm sure it's to discourage non members from using the bank, but it seem crappy to me.

'Cause they're dicks.

Get your own bank account, hippie!

(Actually, I'm not sure that doing so doesn't violate UCC-3, but BofA surely has attorneys working for them. Wells Fargo has the same policy, and I think they're dicks for doing it as well.)

Usually, I'd just make people give me two forms of ID and a thumbprint. UCC is OK with that as reasonable security measures.
Frozen Sooner
10/27/2006, 08:33 PM
Think thats bad???????????? Check out what BOA did to this kid!

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2006/10/25/

Kid gets a check from someone trying to buy a bike he put on craigs list.
BOA won't confirm funds over the phone so kid goes in to cash check.
Kid asks Teller if check is good.
Teller goes in back, comes back and tells kid check is good and asks him to endorse.
Police bust out and arrest kid.
The rest you have to read for yourself. I personally cancelled my Credit Card with BOA and I won't be back.

What, exactly, did the police arrest him for? Someone's attempt to defraud him?

Attempting to cash a check you don't know is stolen is not a crime. Even if you successfully negotiate the check, if you had no idea the item was fraudulent there's not an overzealous DA in the world who's going to charge you.

Beyond that, when the "judge let him go" he wouldn't have any criminal record. What did he spend $14,000 trying to "clear his name" on?
sanantoniosooner
10/27/2006, 08:59 PM
'Cause they're dicks.

Get your own bank account, hippie!

(Actually, I'm not sure that doing so doesn't violate UCC-3, but BofA surely has attorneys working for them. Wells Fargo has the same policy, and I think they're dicks for doing it as well.)

Usually, I'd just make people give me two forms of ID and a thumbprint. UCC is OK with that as reasonable security measures.
I have an account with San Antonio Federal Credit Union.

But sometimes a clients bank is closer and I go that route because of convenience. I realize that the banks concern is for the account holder, but if the account holder is doing business with someone else I think that they shouldn't penalize the third party.
Stoop Dawg
10/27/2006, 09:47 PM
the problem was the way BOA treated the situation AFTER they realized it was a mistake and that is typical for BOA.

Gotcha. And agreed.
Stoop Dawg
10/27/2006, 09:49 PM
Attempting to cash a check you don't know is stolen is not a crime.

But cashing a check that you know is stolen is a crime, no? So the question is, did the guy know it was stolen? A $2,000 check for a $600 item is pretty if-fy. Maybe not stone-cold obvious, but fishy.


Beyond that, when the "judge let him go" he wouldn't have any criminal record. What did he spend $14,000 trying to "clear his name" on?

Good question.
soonerboomer93
10/27/2006, 11:15 PM
Nope the check was drawn on BOA account.http://www.mycrimespace.com/plugin/tag/matthew+shinnick

correct, it was drawn on a BOA account, but the one who was buying the bikes was in canada. BOA has no presense in Canada. The check was also for 3 times the amount that was agreed to.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/30/BUGTGKRHSF1.DTL
soonerboomer93
10/27/2006, 11:16 PM
correct, all charges were dropped. Maybe he spent the money to make sure it doesn't even show up on his record at all?
Frozen Sooner
10/28/2006, 12:47 AM
But cashing a check that you know is stolen is a crime, no? So the question is, did the guy know it was stolen? A $2,000 check for a $600 item is pretty if-fy. Maybe not stone-cold obvious, but fishy.

The usual route on this scam is to say "I have this check already cut-can you cash is and wire me back the difference?"

Not only does the fraudster get the merchandise, they get guaranteed funds for the overage, as wires can't be reversed.

You would be surprised-or perhaps not, if you thought about how stupid people are-how many people get taken in by this. Hell, this guy wasn't even taken in-he straight up ASKED if the check was legit. Which makes me think this thing is bull****-if someone asks me if a check is legit before I cash it, especially a cashier's check, I thank (or thanked, I don't do banking anymore) them for helping us with our fraud-prevention efforts and gave 'em $20 for a "Sherlock Holmes" award.
soonerboomer93
10/28/2006, 01:34 AM
A company I worked with had BOA, we received a fradulant check. We had checked and it did appear ligitimate, then we deposited and later found out it was fraudulant. No biggie, they called us and asked, business manager had to talk to the FBI, and we provided them the e-mails from the person who sent the check.
whatsername
10/28/2006, 07:27 AM
Beyond that, when the "judge let him go" he wouldn't have any criminal record. What did he spend $14,000 trying to "clear his name" on?
He would still have an arrest record, even if he wasn't charged with the crime. $14k seems high, but he would have to petition the courts to get everything expunged. I guess his attorney was expensive.