Alan
9th November 2006, 10:32 PM
Hi everyone.
I just saw this news item today.it should be interesting.
I pasted it here cos I didn't know where's the right place to do so.
regards
Alan
Woman Cashed Counterfeit Checks
http://www.kcra.com/news/10259511/detail.html
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Nigerian scams can take on many forms, bilking Americans out of billions of dollars, and often the victims are seniors. But Call 3 found a case with a different victim.
Debbie Kindall is a full-time student, who also works full-time to pay for school and bills.
She needed extra cash to help out her mother and answered an online ad that read: "work at home, make $450 a week." All she had to do was receive checks from a company supposedly based in London, cash them and wire the money to another office.
"I had $5,200," Kindall said.
Kindall said she wired it all, as instructed, to Nigeria.
A week later, Kindall said she discovered her own checking account was in the red for $5,000. She had been scammed.
"I felt like I got punched. I almost passed out in the mall, to be honest," Kindall said.
Bank of America told Kindall she cashed the checks, so she could not make a fraud claim.
Bank of America told Call 3 the checks were counterfeit and returned by the bank.
Bank of America also told Call 3 that opening an account is agreeing to a contract, and B of A's contract says the customer is responsible for the legitimacy of any check, not the bank.
"They said they cashed them because I was a good customer. They didn't hold the checks, they didn't verify the funds, they took the fact that I was a good customer. If I'm a good customer, then you should be looking out for my best interest," Kindall said.
Now this struggling student will try to pay back the money. She said she's learned a tough lesson.
"I'm a college student. I don't want other people to go through what I'm trying to go through right now, trying to pay bills, and try and get out of debt," Kindall said.
Bank of America said its policies are not unlike other banks.
Consumers should read their banking agreement information carefully and know that in most cases, if you present a check for deposit, you're responsible for it.
Bank of America did waive the overdraft penalties in this case.
I just saw this news item today.it should be interesting.
I pasted it here cos I didn't know where's the right place to do so.
regards
Alan
Woman Cashed Counterfeit Checks
http://www.kcra.com/news/10259511/detail.html
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Nigerian scams can take on many forms, bilking Americans out of billions of dollars, and often the victims are seniors. But Call 3 found a case with a different victim.
Debbie Kindall is a full-time student, who also works full-time to pay for school and bills.
She needed extra cash to help out her mother and answered an online ad that read: "work at home, make $450 a week." All she had to do was receive checks from a company supposedly based in London, cash them and wire the money to another office.
"I had $5,200," Kindall said.
Kindall said she wired it all, as instructed, to Nigeria.
A week later, Kindall said she discovered her own checking account was in the red for $5,000. She had been scammed.
"I felt like I got punched. I almost passed out in the mall, to be honest," Kindall said.
Bank of America told Kindall she cashed the checks, so she could not make a fraud claim.
Bank of America told Call 3 the checks were counterfeit and returned by the bank.
Bank of America also told Call 3 that opening an account is agreeing to a contract, and B of A's contract says the customer is responsible for the legitimacy of any check, not the bank.
"They said they cashed them because I was a good customer. They didn't hold the checks, they didn't verify the funds, they took the fact that I was a good customer. If I'm a good customer, then you should be looking out for my best interest," Kindall said.
Now this struggling student will try to pay back the money. She said she's learned a tough lesson.
"I'm a college student. I don't want other people to go through what I'm trying to go through right now, trying to pay bills, and try and get out of debt," Kindall said.
Bank of America said its policies are not unlike other banks.
Consumers should read their banking agreement information carefully and know that in most cases, if you present a check for deposit, you're responsible for it.
Bank of America did waive the overdraft penalties in this case.