Original cheques

SeniorProbateManager

My firm is acting for the Executors and the bank has been corresponding with us, so it's not a question of them not recognising our authority.

It has been reported to Action Fraud and I am waiting to hear from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. It was Action Fraud who suggested I obtain the original cheques and I made that request in writing to the bank on 6 August. After two chasing letters they sent me further copies of the cheques (they'd already sent me copies over two months ago when we first became suspicious about the large cheque) and a fax to them produced the telephone reply that they only keep the originals for 5 days.

As I say, I am not convinced that what I've been told is correct. Since when have banks been so efficient that they do anything within 5 days!

TheBanker

SeniorProbateManager wrote: »

As I say, I am not convinced that what I've been told is correct. Since when have banks been so efficient that they do anything within 5 days!

The bank I work for isn't Lloyds, but we keep original cheques for 7 years. However, they are scanned and then go off to storage, and it's a pain in the neck getting one back. If a customer wants a copy cheque, a print out of the scanned copy will normally be fine because normally they want to check who they payee was, or use the copy to resolve a dispute with the payee about whether they paid, or there is a clearing error and the wrong amount has been recorded.

Our Fraud department do occasionally have to request original cheques - but even if we did I am not sure they would be handed to a third party. The only requests I am aware of have come via the Police.

I am not an expert but can I suggest you make sure your case is being dealt with by the Fraud department rather than the Probate department? The Probate department will be used to ordering copy cheques but probably don't deal with people claiming fraud very often.