Missing money from bank cash deposit

choccyness

Please do not reply unless you can offer any sensible advice and I apologise foir the length but I wanted to get everything down.
My daughter, who is a full time university student went to her bank last week and paid in £270 cash. It was money she had been given from Christmas and her 21st birthday. She was paying it into her account to cover her rent as it was due 2 days before her wages from her part time job were to go in.
The cashier asked her how much she was paying in and my daughter confirmed £270, she was certain of the amount as she had counted it just 10 minutes before, at home. My daughter put her card in the machine and was told by the cashier that it had all gone in and to remove her card. My daughter did not get asked to confirm the amount on the machineor to put her pin number in. My daughter went straight home to transfer the money online to pay her rent but her account was short. When she checked her receipt, which the cashier had been reluctant to give her, my daughter noticed that it said deposit £170. After phoning her dad in floods of tears my daughter went back to the bank and explained what had happened. The duty manager was very understanding and said that it was probably just a mistake and they would look into it but not to worry as she could see how upset my daughter was and was clearly not lying. They checked the till, which was correct and the cashier became very defensive, shouting at the duty manager. Completly different to how she had been with my daughter; then she barely made eye contact or spoke. The bank called my daughter the next day and said that they had checked the CCTV but they could not see the cashier count the money so it is my daughters word against theirs and basically there is nothing they can do, especially as my daughter had a receipt.
Has anyone else had similar? how did you deal with it?

Goldiegirl

Sadly, the time to query the amount on the receipt was before your daughter left the bank.

They've checked the till, and it balanced.

So, as your daughter had a receipt for £170, as far as they are concerned, that was what was paid in.

Therefore, either the cashier stole the money in direct sight of your daughter, or your daughter has made a mistake.

Contrary to popular belief, bank cashiers are very honest people, and it's highly unlikely they'd risk their job over such a small amount of money.

The cashier probably became defensive, as they were virtually being accused of theft, which, let's face it, isn't very nice.

I think your daughter will have to put this down to experience, and check her receipt before she leaves the branch in future.

Also, there's the possibility that your daughter made a mistake, and thought she had £270, but only had £170. Mistakes do happen.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but there's not anything you can do, apart from going to the police to report what your daughter believes is a theft, which took place before her very eyes.

agrinnall

It's not clear what actually happened to the cash when your daughter handed it over, did the cashier count it, or did they put it into a counting machine? And was the cash then put into the till? Was the receipt computer generated or hand written?

Unfortunately the evidence of the receipt and the balanced till will count against her, and it may be difficult to overturn the bank's decision.

grumbler

Not, 'constructive', but I don't think that anything can be done if the money had been counted when she went back to the bank and no extra money was found.
That's what receipts are for.

NotRichAtAll

really sorry to hear what has happened to your daughter, i should imagine inside you are raging mad and want to charge in head first and sort this, i know i would.
All i can suggest is not to let this go, if it were me i would go as far as getting the police involved if i got no satisfaction from the bank.
The till would be correct if the cashier has only banked £170 and pocketed £100 also maybe the cashier knew there was a blind spot in relation to the camera's view. As i have said i would go as far as the police if need be you could plant this seed in the bank manager's head now and see if anything miraculous happens by the bank to avoid this
However on the other hand your daughter could of made a mistake.

when i go into a bank to deposit cash i actually tell the cashier how much i am paying in when i hand the cash to them, did your daughter do this or did she just hand over a wad of cash, either way your daughter has to accept some blame for this predicament she is in, top tip be more vigilant it's your cash your handing over.

hope you get it sorted.

Mojisola

choccyness wrote: »

The cashier asked her how much she was paying in and my daughter confirmed £270, she was certain of the amount as she had counted it just 10 minutes before, at home.

Was the cash out of her sight between counting it and leaving home?

Were any of her housemates around?

Marktheshark

What she can do I do not know other than make a statement sign it and give a copy to the police and to the banks head office to cut the branch manager out of the loop.
Other than that it is a very short sharp lesson in making sure you are never in any kind of rush when dealing with money, make sure she knows to be focused and check things and if something else is that important she is too busy to check receipts then do not handle cash until her head is cleared of all distractions.

The other side and someone has to say it, maybe she spent the other hundred and bank of mum is making her rent up.
Does happen, those with kids know....

colsten

NotRichAtAll wrote: »

As i have said i would go as far as the police if need be you could plant this seed in the bank manager's head now and see if anything miraculous happens by the bank to avoid this

I doubt the bank would be scared by a threat of sending the Police in. I also doubt any cashier would risk their job for £100. If the cashier was a serial thief, they would have been identified as such by now.

But by all means, do complain with the bank and/or go to the Police if you believe you can prove the cashier is a thief. I would leave out the more dramatic sounding bits such as the cashier allegedly avoiding eye contact, being reluctant to give a receipt, and shouting at the bank manager.

meer53

The police won't want to know. The till balanced and the OP's daughter has a receipt for £170.

I'd make a formal complaint to the bank. To not have CCTV available at the counters is pretty poor really. Mention the possibility of reporting it to the police, they might just refund it.

lovinituk

colsten wrote: »

I doubt the bank would be scared by a threat of sending the Police in. I also doubt any cashier would risk their job for £100. If the cashier was a serial thief, they would have been identified as such by now.

When I worked in a bank many years ago, a couple of cashiers were eventually caught for stealing from the tills. One of them they suspected had been doing it for months - skimming here and there. No police involvement at all. They were quietly sacked as the bank didn't want the bad publicity.

Although it was a while a go, nothing has really changed with the way cashiers take and handle cash. Unless you have individual CCTV looking right down on each cashiers working area then it can be difficult to prove any mishandling and wrong doing.

norm_

I don't believe the cashier would steal it, not at all worth risking their job/criminal conviction. Where was the money kept prior to going to the bank? That's the most likely place it got stolen/lost/misspent.