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Home >> Scams/Fraud
Bank Refuses Responsibility for Stolen, Forged Checks
My daughter had three checks stolen from her apartment by a guy she met online. He wrote the checks out to various places for a sum of $500. The bank won't give a detailed explanation why they won’t cover them, only that it was partly her fault. Our bank manager in Hilliard only said that the bank thought the checks should be locked up and that checks are like cash.
Everyone involved is shocked that the bank won’t cover the checks, including police officials, prosecuting attorney, bank personnel and the bank manager. The criminal forged her name (very badly I might add) and used his ID to cash them. He will be prosecuted.
My daughter works very hard for her money and this has been very tough on her. She has been victimized and the bank continues the victimization.
What is the bank’s responsibility? Should consumers lock their checks up in their own house? Is this typical of all banks? This also has to do with someone who preys on people by winning their trust online and then stealing from them.
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 Without knowing the dates the checks were paid from your daughter's account and the dates on which she receives her bank statements, it's difficult to give a definite response. Generally, unless your daughter got a bank statement showing the payment of one of the forged checks, and failed to alert the bank, thus facilitating payment of additional forged checks, within a reasonable time, the bank should be accountable to your daughter.
For the bank to claim that blank checks ought to be kept under lock and key is ridiculous, unless she roomed with a known forger. People simply do not lock up their checkbooks as a regular practice. If your daughter left signed blank checks lying around in her apartment when entertaining company, this would be understandable, but suggesting that she have them locked up seems to be overreaching.
Its hard to say that your daughter has an air-tight case to contest the bank's refusal to reimburse her, because all of the facts are not known, but the bank may be pushing back excessively. If your daughter thinks she wants to pursue the matter, she should talk to an attorney.
Published on BankingQuestions.com 8/11/09
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