Anybody work in a bank who can help

[Charltonstrek]

2 weeks ago money went missing from my bank account found out it was done in branch so a face to face transaction and it was a cheque. I reported it to the fraud department and got my money back.
Now 2 weeks later its happened again they say it was once again a counter transaction at the bank a teller transaction they called but I haven't recieved full details of which branch and if its a cheque again.
I haven't had a cheque book in my possession for years and haven't written one either it's a long shot but does anybody have any insight on what could be going on here maybe a bank worker.

They wouldn’t close your account and open you a new one - the admin for you and the Bank on that would be a nightmare. That’s an absolute last resort.

it sounds like either they are fraudulent cheques (the bank should be checking every cheque that is paid in) OR someone has ordered a cheque book from your account and either intercepted it or had it delivered somewhere else.

1. push the bank to confirm where the cheques have come from - when was a cheque book last ordered on your account? If none then they’re fraudulent cheques
2. they’ll have frozen your account to protect it but this isn’t a long term strategy obviously - you need access to funds
3. ask them to cancel the cheque book if it exists and add a note to your account - if a cheque then gets used it’ll flag

I am confused how this is happening - they must be writing the cheque to cash which I didn’t think was allowed anymore! But you need to push the Bank to explain what has happened and what steps they are putting in place to stop this.

Nope I dont have a card issued on an account and use the withdrawl slip and an old fashioned ID where they look at me and my signature and match it to the ID they demand I keep up-to-date. But then my branch has actual humans employed🙃😀

Are their banks that have some kind of automation to cash cheques, although I'm still not convinced that can be done nowadays?

How would a fraud the way the OP describes be carried out without humans?

I'm wondering if the bank haven't explained things fully as it doesn't seem to make sense

Closing the account is the worst thing you can you as it may Impacts your credit rating at best and may look like you are complicit at worst. It is a final resort really. Transferring money to another account to use if the account is frozen is more sensible.

I recommend changing your card pin which you can do in your app or through the bank ATM machine.

Just also consider if there is anyone with access to your cards, old chequebooks, statements or identification - nanny, cleaner, extended family. Cheque books can be forged easily but need some information, and usually identification is asked for or a chip/pin.

As a priority, you must formally raise a complaint asking that you have a full account of what has happened, are fully refunded and that steps are taking to safeguard your account. Quote the UK Consumer Dury Act 2023 which is also worth googling.

Did you use up all your last cheques? Could someone who had access to your home have taken it and used it? Horrible thought but may be the line the fraud department go down.

I really want to know how this has happened do you think they will share details or just refund the money and protect my account do they have to share full details has I think they just normally refund and you never get much feedback

Op have you checked any other accounts you have and accessed your credit reports? This could be part of identity theft and if so not only might they be trying to access money but taking credit out in your name.

You could also phone up and request a copy of the cheques so you have pictures of the cheques cashed. That way you can see the cheque details. Also check what your signature is within the company as that also may be forged. Remember also to put a complaint in as this should of been dealt with with the first port of call( the first cheque) and not when it happens again. Safeguarding of your account wasn't done in the first instance unfortunately- it has now. Good luck with it all.

Automation that would be lodge to account and withdraw from account (against uncleared funds)

I can lodge a cheque or cash to a third party with no payment slip (eg landlord who would not have one) but as a withdrawl needs a card and a pin I cant see the bank would allow a cheque be used when the card and pin are needed anyway.

So while a withdrawal slip fraud would be possible it should not flag as a cheque fraud

A cheque and a withdrawl slip would be scaned differently by the little reader the staff use for the strip reader as a cheque has a unique number/ number bar

The bank should have a record of any chequebooks associated with your account. Was this not confirmed after the first instance?

You can't cash cheques anymore I.e. swap them for cash, they must be paid into a bank account and clear before withdrawal and the cheque team for your bank would have a record of where it had been paid.

A corporate cheque can be withdrawn from a branch without a cheque book but again there would be a record of this and who it was payable to.

If the bank aren't giving you this information then they aren't very good. It's really not a big effort to switch bank accounts or even switch bank providers using the current account switch service so I would do this. However you won't be able to switch accounts with an ongoing fraud investigation open.

Ask to make a complaint so that your case is prorioritised and you can get an explanation ASAP. Financial providers have targets to resolve complaints where possible within 3 working days so this may expedite things.

My in-person bank requires pin input for ANY transaction to prevent fraud. Yes, ID at times, but the pin protects me too.

The actual human approach is the weak part in this chain. SOMEONE in person is committing fraud.

I used to work for Lloyds bank. Paper transaction slips (when they still used them) were used by a member of staff, who also physically removed the evidence later, as an ongoing fraud. Money was withdrawn fraudulently from a range of customers accounts. IF use of a PIN number had been in place then, it would have prevented her theft.

Although, Lloyds were more than capable of absorbing the loss.

Any bit of paper with the correct account details on can be treated as a cheque. It doesn’t have to be from a cheque book. That said, I’d expect the bank staff to be suspicious of someone using this method.

In our case, it was fake cheques being made. Like another poster, we have to issue cheques to the DVLA and Police forces and very occasionally others. Not sure how it works but it was spotted by the bank.

If it's a cheque issued from your account, then presumably they would have matched the signature to the one they have on file.
Or don't they do this anymore?
Can you ask to see a copy of the cheque under freedom of information rules?
It feels as if there is something going on they're not telling you.
This is not the whole story.

The bank cant get pin input on an account which has no card. In my case they have 2 forms of picture ID and a picture of the way i signed my name on the signature verification form. And if its a new person i can see them check if there card (in the old days they would offer to order one)

Pin theft/card cloning is a growing business the security of a pin transaction is falling.

But as you point out the person standing at the counter with no card/pin would be outside the usual so that leads to additional questions about what happened.

Staff fraud is always the hardest to prevent as they know the systems and have worked out the weakness and have access and build trust with other staff.

The fraud department would have put a stop on your account while they investigate the fraud. If this has happened recently, you should be able to call them to discuss it. Make sure you use a published number on their website, not a link sent to your personal phone and put through to the correct person to discuss the issue and Fraud. Sometimes they might not be able to give you any information if they are determining if there are suspicious circumstances but I would call them and hold tight.

That is so unlikely to have happened once never mind twice I think we can discount that possibility 😁

@Charltonstrek you are still able to take a cheque to the bank written out to cash!!! my dh does this for petty cash in the office. I think perhaps that someone has intercepted a cheque book or even, if a teller, had one printed in your name. my dh has actually had a business cheque book arrive through the post without even in an envelope!!! it was just the cheque book!! even the postman was shocked! we were all horrified at this thought, given that it was a business account!!!!

It's a very fast task for a bank member of staff to generate cheque book. Customer account, request new book tick box, Go. 15 second process.

Presumably there would be an electronic footprint on the banks system so quick to find the culprit

someone has a cheque book of yours (ordered and intercepted)and is writing them out, signing your name and paying it into their account by scanning with their phone?

I left banking a long time ago, but this used to happen when the fraudster changed the address on the account and ordered a new chequebook or when they were stolen in the post.

Why should she be inconvenienced? It's their job to have better checks (cheques) in place

There probably is now. There wasn't when I worked for Lloyds.