I think my bank have committed fraud

platterfish

matttye wrote: »

If you're thinking of the bank as a single entity then it might seem ludicrous, but if you think about a single staff member with need of their job as they have mouths to feed.. it's not so ludicrous.

They would not get sacked for this simple error. Most people would just report it to their manager, and then it would be put down as a breach of process, nothing else said.. although the right thing would be to contact the customer and authenticate them after.

Why would anyone risk getting sacked for forging a signature, when being honest wouldn't result in that,

DaveTheMus

jennyj26uk wrote: »

I don't want or need compensation. I just want them to learn a valuable lesson. Banks are quick enough to jump down everyone's throats when their customers make mistakes or miss payments so I do the same to them every time they make a mistake. I know all too well that people are only human and mistakes do happen. I work in retail and fully appreciate that human error occurs almost everyday. No one is perfect and nor do I expect them to be! I only complained because this is a serious breach of security and then they have tried to cover their tracks. I was nice and polite in my complaint, at no point did I blame the cashier in question. I actually blamed it on the bank and their training which is clearly not rigorous enough! So get your facts straight before making assumptions!

Archi_Bald

jennyj26uk wrote: »

It's people like you who need to open your eyes and stop believing everything you are told.

This is exactly what is happening on this thread. People not believing what they are told.

Seems what you really mean is that everybody must believe what you tell them?

polymaff

Now the main fire is out, and for the three healthily-sceptical correspondents who I responded to individually this morning, here's what happened:

This was a passbook account, the sort of one where the account-holder's signature was on the inside back cover, written in UV-sensitive ink. The cashier paid out about £400 without checking the signature. When I complained that the cashier had not checked the signature the cashier said that she had done so - as did the other member of staff who'd been observing the transaction - and who identified himself as the manager.

In fact, written in UV-sensitive ink was not my signature but the instruction REQUEST OTHER FORM OF I/D or words to that effect.

Why did they do it? I don't know. Did it justify a call to the regional/area manager's office? I think so.

BTW I knew neither the cashier nor the manager. My regular branch manager well knew of my distrust of the signature-in-the-back-of-the-book approach.

Herbalus

jennyj26uk wrote: »

Exactly it actually makes me wonder if these people are all bank workers, I just can't understand why people can't seem to accept the fact that banks make mistakes and that engage in malpractice. People automatically assume I'm wrong and must be mistaken just because I'm not a corporate giant. Because I'm not some multi billion pound company I must be wrong!

It isn't this, it really isn't. I'm sorry you feel we're accusing you whilst hiding behind our keyboards, but we know the banks and their procedures more than we know you (and we don't work for them - well, it's an anonymous forum, so I can only confirm that for myself, I suppose! Although I guess I can't prove that I don't.).

It's perfectly possible for a bank assistant to forge a signature, but the problem is that it seems extremely unlikely, which is why most people on here are suggesting you did sign something and forgot. This is just one possible scenario from what you've said.

It isn't (meant to be!) a personal attack. I suspect everybody would be prepared to believe that there was no ID check, but if the bank is saying there was a signature, then that believability drops somewhat. Either a) the bank is mistaken and there is no signature, b) you signed it and forgot, or c) somebody forged it. I'm afraid the first two are - to some anonymous people on the internet who don't know you - more believable. I'm sorry, but I just can't imagine somebody in the bank forging your signature.

As Peaceful Waters pointed out, their checking procedures are for their own benefit. If somebody steals your card and withdraws £1000 without being asked for ID, the bank will have to refund the money.

colsten

OP, how much are we talking about? £20, £50, £300, £2,000?

Which bank?

If you didn't sign anything (CCTV will tell), are you sure the cashier doesn't know who you are? She could, just as a for instance, be the girlfriend of a past partner of yours? Did she ask you anything that would uniquely identify you (again, CCTV will tell)?

May be the only fault of the bank was that they confirmed in writing that the OP signed a withdrawal slip?

As to your suggestion that people who don't just support everything you say are bank employees: I am not, I never have been. I also do not hold shares in any banks. I am just a customer like yourself. The only way I have been able to get cash over the counter in the last 6 or so years at Halifax, Nationwide, Lloyds, Santander, RBS, HSBC and Natwest has been with either chip and PIN or a signature. All withdrawal I have made over the counter have been larger than the daily ATM limit for the respective accounts.

MABLE

TadleyBaggie wrote: »

You wanted some of your money, the bank gave it to you. Where is the fraud?

Some people are never happy.

MPH80

MPH80 wrote: »

So request a copy of the slip with the signature on it and request a copy or a viewing of the CCTV at the time to prove if you signed it or not.

You haven't lost out on anything here - but if it wasn't C&P and the bank teller didn't know you - then arguably they didn't follow identification procedures.

But that all depends on the bank.

At the moment it's your word against theirs. You say you didn't sign, they say you did. The only way you can do anything about it is to prove you didn't.

So get a copy and ask to view the CCTV from the time of your visit. Then, perhaps, you could report them to the appropriate authorities (which isn't the police as this isn't a criminal act!)

M.

Just repeating what I said on page one of this stupid thread.

At the moment - it's one person's word against another - get some evidence.

Everynamestaken

As someone fantastically wrote earlier, if you do not like the banks procedures, then there are other banks to go with.

I would love to know how the actual conversation went or if it actually took place at all.

Part of me is guessing it went like this:
you said "I have no pin number but I have my card" and you signed the withdrawal slip to which then was checked against the system".

Or maybe "you showed your card and said you had no pin, but because the you was well known in branch by that cashier or another one". Your signature was enough.

How have you gone from not been sure to now been sure you didn't sign it. Looks like you're just spinning a story that has ample flaws in it that just does not make it sound true,

Everynamestaken

Just to add in a separate post. Safe to say next time you go into branch, things will be alot tighter for you. I
suspect they will remember you every time you step foot in the door (if they already didn't), and you will be asked every question in the book regarding your transactions, as well as being asked to produce ID and your chip and pin.
I would go as far as asking for your phone numbers, national insurance number, each card transaction in the last month on top of all the other questions to make sure never again will you ever complain about the lax procedures regarding withdrawals.

I've been on the receiving end of people saying they never received the cash at the counter, never mind signing a slip. After checking the CCTV and confirming you did give them the money, you rarely get an apology either just a joking response along the lines of "oh yer, my memory isn't what it used to be". Loads of people don't remember things when there on the phone, battling with the kids next to them etc, so hopefully if/when you are told you signed a slip, you will come on and admit the error.