Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!

[AnnW]

i went to Kroger yesterday and they wouldn't accept my check. what the????? call them today and they say the check was returned and i was in 'the system' as a risk. what???? call my bank and they are adamant that they haven't returned any checks nor would they because i have overdraft protection. call back Kroger they email me the check and yep it's mine. get on a conference call with the bank, Kroger and me. turns out my account has been flagged for possible theft!!! but from a completely different branch. call that branch and it turns out last Monday (the 4th) some lady was cashing a check made out to her, check was imprinted with a name, address on it, but for some reason the teller got suspicious and pulled the signature card and lo and behold, it was my account!!!!! someone had gotten my number and printed up new checks with their name on it!! the bank immediately flagged the account, but couldn't reach us cause they had the wrong area code for us (Houston went to 10 digit dialing a while ago, but they didn't have the new one) so I have been blithefully writing checks that are now being returned and i am having to send cashiers checks to cover it all. they are waiving any fees cause it was theft. the bank is being wonderful. we closed that account and they are monitoring the old one. what a total pain in the a$$!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KarlaB]

OMG ANN!!!! Are you freaking out? I would be so stressed! Will they be able to prosecute the woman??

[Diane]

OMG... that's unbelievable! I'd be freaking out... 8o 8o Thank God the teller got suspicious and pulled the signature card. Did they catch her or is she still out there writing checks? What a hassle for you and dh... :rolleyes: I hope everything works out okay. Keep us updated.

Diane...

[AnnW]

No, I am just pissed and exhausted more than anything!!!
The woman who was trying to cash the check had a different name than what was on the check. They got her ID. We are going to get the check from the branch and turn it over to the police.

[KarlaB]

I still just can't believe it and it's not even me going thru it - it's just amazing how easy it is for people to do this and to think that you simply had NO clue!! Plus, I always seem to be in the mindset that it won't happen to me, just happens to other people....and here this sort of thing has happened to 2 people that I 'know' here (at IB) within days of each other. :\

[PamE]

Omigosh, how awful! 8o I'm glad they caught it and you were finally able to know what was happening! 8o

[Beth/TX]

Ugh! It's scary how that kind of stuff can happen w/o your being aware.

We had a call a few years back that a young man in Bryan, TX had gotten a phone account with dh's social security number and info. Apparently he had the account for quite some time, and we only became aware of it when he became delinquent on his bill. And at the hospital I used to work at, one of the Human Resources employees had opened up several checking accounts using employee info she obtained from files. She wrote tons of forged checks She had been doing it for quite some time too, and noone knew until a clerk at a store asked for her driver's license, and noticed it didn't match the info on the check.

Just goes to show us that there really isn't anything we can do to completely protect ourselves from this stuff.

I hope they prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law!

[AnnW]

What was so amazing was that these checks were PRINTED with this other person's name (maybe real, whothehellknows) and address on it. Looking very legit. but my account number!!!
Asked my bank officer how they got my account number cause we are very careful to shred any bank statement, ect. she said that it's not uncommon for these people to go into a grocery store or some place like that cause those workers don't make much money and say 'here, is $100 bucks, let me look at 3 checks' or sometimes it's even an inside job with a low paid clerk in some processing department..........****........you ain't safe no where!!!!

[imamama]

Holy $h!t! I can completely empathize with you! I guess we should all revert to burying money in our yards and keeping our necessity money hidden the mattress!
I am so sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you're bank was as wonderful and swift as mine!!!!

[AnnW]

Heck, even my banker was saying she heard a talk given by a Christian money manager saying everyone should deal in cash...you spend less and it's safer!!!

[Melody]

OMG! I am sorry this happened to you. What a shocker and a pain in the a$$. It's amazing what some people will do and actually get away with. I really hope the police catch up to her.

[JAK]

That's so scary. First Amy and now you. Good thing they figured it out before it got too out of control.

[BevJ]

Unbelieveable is right! I'm flabbergasted.

[littlesista06]

Yikes!! Did any money ever actually come from your account?

[AnnW]

no, thankfully.
but i have spent most of the morning either calling or being called by people i wrote checks to that got them returned! now, i have to repay those with cashier's checks cause they won't take my personal check!!!!

[littlesista06]

Ugh!! What a PITA!! I'm so sorry.

[angie r]

Thank goodness Kroger turned your check down!! How scary!

[vea29]

That is so weird....now you guys are starting to scare me....I never use cash....I almost never right a check but I used my debit card everywhere's....I'm going to be much more consious now...Sorry you had to go through this.

[Leigh]

Oh Ann, I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I sincerely hope that they catch that woman. Will your bank write a note to every place you had a check bounce and explain the situation to them, so that you don't have to always use cashier's checks?

[AnnW]

Oh Ann, I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I sincerely hope that they catch that woman. Will your bank write a note to every place you had a check bounce and explain the situation to them, so that you don't have to always use cashier's checks?


My bank is printing a notice of forgery letter to go with these cashier's checks so i am not having to pay the fees, but most of these merchants will not take regular checks from me till they get the all clear from the national list.