Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

She cashed both fucking cheques!!

214 replies

VeryFuckingPissedOff · 11/12/2016 11:45

Sent somebody a cheque for their birthday. They 'lost it' and asked me to send another. Prehaps I was foolish to do so, but I did. Now, both cheques have come out of my fucking bank account!!!!

OP posts:
AnchorDownDeepBreath · 11/12/2016 12:18

I don't think you can cancel a cheque after it's been redeemed. You can recall it, but I think there's a fee for that too, and I don't think it's guaranteed that you'll get the money back - that's why you can cancel them before, I believe. But it's been a while since I've used cheques!

CorkieD · 11/12/2016 12:20

They 'lost it' and asked me to send another.

If I lost a cheque I received as a present, I would not ask the sender to send on another. After all, it was my mistake. I would mention that I had lost it in the hope that another cheque would find its way to me.

Asking for another cheque and then cashing both cheques is very questionable behaviour.

FurryLittleTwerp · 11/12/2016 12:20

If I'd lost a cheque that was sent to me I'd never in a million years ring & ask for another one. If the sender realised it hadn't been cashed & asked me, I'd tell them & let them know I'd send the original back if I found it, if they decided to replace it.

DH has form for losing cheques & especially book tokens - my parents sent him a £100 book token for a birthday once & I know it has never been used. Over 15 years ago now Sad

CheeseCakeSunflowers · 11/12/2016 12:20

If the cheque was stolen it would be possible for anyone to cross out the payee's name, insert their own then forge the op's signature to confirm the correction. This would probably be traceable if it did happen, the bank would need to look and see if the cheque has been altered then check whose account it was paid into.

myoriginal3 · 11/12/2016 12:20

Where you failed op is when you didn't come onto mn in the first instance where we would have advised you en masse to CANCEL THE CHEQUE. Grin

FurryLittleTwerp · 11/12/2016 12:21

snap Corkie

HandbagCrazy · 11/12/2016 12:21

Before you get angry, it could be a mistake. I lost a cheque years ago and was given a replacement. I was at uni at the time. I took the second cheque back to uni town with me and cashed it. Following day, dm found the original. She didn't realise I had a replacement and put the original one in my account.
It was a straightforward mistake that I apologised for me repaid the money.

Calmly talk to family member first OP

NoahVale · 11/12/2016 12:21

perhaps someone stole the first cheque and cashed it

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 11/12/2016 12:21

My bank would charge me £12.50 to cancel a charge (unless I could spin it well enough for them to waive the charge).

What a cheeky fucker.

Jax a cheque can only be cashed by someone other than the payee if fraudulently altered. You haven't been able to endorse a cheque in the U.K. for years.

HaveNoSocks · 11/12/2016 12:22

Bloody hell I would never have thought to cancel the first cheque (I would assume no one would have the brass neck to cash both). At least you've saved yourself money in the long run by never sending them a birthday present again!

I would speak to the bank and see what you can do and also speak to the person in question in case it was a genuine mistake.

DeepanKrispanEven · 11/12/2016 12:22

nobody else can 'cash a cheque' that is made out to somebody else. It is simply not possible.

Of course it's possible, it happens all the time. Suppose, for instance, you get a cheque made out out to E Jones. It's really not difficult for E Jones' feckless son Brian to change that and cash it. Or he could nick E Jones' ID and open a new account.

CancellyMcChequeface · 11/12/2016 12:22

Cancel both cheques. Grin

Sorry, OP. I agree with assuming (or at least pretending to assume) that it was an innocent mistake, and bring it up, just to see what she says.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 11/12/2016 12:24

It wouldn't occur to me to cancel the original cheque.

FizzySweeties · 11/12/2016 12:24

I didn't know you could cross someone's name out, write another in and then sign the change and that would be allowed at the bank Shock You learn something new....

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 11/12/2016 12:27

Fizzy- yes, you have to initial mistakes.

blueadele · 11/12/2016 12:31

Definitely tell them you think it must have been stolen (because obviously they would never do anything like that!) and you're going to the police.

KitKat1985 · 11/12/2016 12:34

Were they cashed on the same date?

I'm just wondering if it is possible they had a moment of complete absent mindedness and put the first cheque in, forgot they done it, and then thought it was lost.

WorraLiberty · 11/12/2016 12:36

I haven't texted/called relative yet as I wanted to see if I was BU first.

Seriously??

Can you give an example of how you might possibly be unreasonable to contact the relative, and ask why both cheques were cashed? Confused

LadyJaneMortificado · 11/12/2016 12:40

nobody else can 'cash a cheque' that is made out to somebody else. It is simply not possible.

I'm shocked that anyone could be this naive. There are many ways to do this - "correcting the name" subtly if the names are similar enough by overwriting; openly "correcting" the name and forging the signature; just having a go and hoping the cashier doesn't notice (this does actually happen as I've had personal experience of it at work as someone accidentally paid a cheque into a wrong/different named account); setting up a fraudulent account in that name (I know a lawyer who worked on a case where over £200k was embezzled like this); or finding a complicit person with a similar/same name.

What I don't understand is (1) why OP didnt' cancel cheque when told it was lost - for exactly this reason - fraud happens (2) why (when having been told cheque is lost) OP is so quick to jumpt to the conclusion it is the relative who has cashed both.

I would be very hurt if this happened to me and someone assumed I was taking advantage. It's much more likely the lost cheque has been cashed by another person.

Ask the recipient whether they received both and inadvertently cashed both
Raise a query on the first cheque and ask your bank to trace where the first cheque was cashed

HaveNoSocks · 11/12/2016 12:40

The only accident I can imagine is that her mum/partner/whoever saw a cheque (or maybe a few cheques if it was her birthday) lying around and was going to the bank anyway so cashed it into their account for them. The person thought they'd lost the cheque and asked for a new one. Or the person had a bunch of cheques and got confused about which she'd lost.

Either way I would definitely bring it up, just say I'm sure it's an accident but you've cashed both cheques, you can either send me a cheque or do a bank transfer to refund the amount.

creakyknees13 · 11/12/2016 12:41

There is a fee for cancelling cheques, you know. It's not really worth it for small amounts.

What a cheeky, cheeky cow

BertrandRussell · 11/12/2016 12:42

"I haven't texted/called relative yet as I wanted to see if I was BU first."

Missed that. Really??????

You know, if this happened to me it wouldn't cross my mind that it was an attempt to diddle me out of 25 quid..........

OurBlanche · 11/12/2016 12:45

Mmm!

Cheques have that ac payee thing on them. After 1992 you could no longer sign the back and cash them, or change the name and initial it.

"Section 1 of the Cheques Act of 1992 prevents cheques being cashed by or paid into the accounts of third parties. On a crossed cheque the words “account payee only” (or similar) are printed between two parallel vertical lines in the centre of the cheque. This makes the cheque non-transferable and is to prevent cheques being endorsed and paid into an account other than that of the named recipient."

Pay day cheque cashing companies just take the risk... that's why they charge so much!

BratFarrarsPony · 11/12/2016 12:49

" I'm shocked that anyone could be this naive "

you are calling me naive? really?
you really think someone is going to open a false bank account for the sake of a 25 pound cheque?
Get real.

Lweji · 11/12/2016 12:50

it wouldn't cross my mind that it was an attempt to diddle me out of 25 quid

I suppose it depends on the family member, but then I might not have believed the first story and tell them to look for it and if they still couldn't find it after a few weeks, then to let me know.

Next time, OP, maybe tell them (anyone) you've run out of cheques and are waiting for the new batch. Wait a few weeks to see if it's cashed or not.
Unless you really trust that person.