Is Your Bank Handing Out Counterfeit Money?

[Poop-Loops]

In this segment of "Why Does Poop Loop's Family Always Lose?" I present you with $300.

That is, $300 that my dad withdrew from the bank that turned out to be counterfeit. So what happens now? They can take the money, do a thorough test, and if it's counterfeit, we're screwed. That's it. Legal theft from a bank. How do you like them tomatoes?

The backstory is that my dad went to Poland to repay his dad's debts and stuff. He took cash. When he got there and tried to pay for something, three $100 bills came up as fake.

So what can we possibly do now?

 

[Evo]

Wow, he wasn't arrested was he?

 

[B. Elliott]

I'm not sure about the laws, but you would think that your father would have the ground to sue the bank for putting him in that position... The bank failed to recognize and redistributed three counterfeit federal notes to a customer. Knowingly or not... ignorance is not an excuse.

This is where banks are shown to be crooks. Think of how much money they are making from giving out high interest loans to individuals using other peoples money.

 

[B. Elliott]

Don't feel too bad though. I still think there's a family curse with mine. Ranging from my parents getting $12,000 stolen from them by a supposedly 'reputable' cabinet maker, to my grandfather, father and sister all getting their right eye put out. It's only a matter of time for me.

 

[Evo]

This is where banks are shown to be crooks. Think of how much money they are making from giving out high interest loans to individuals using other peoples money.

Banks aren't crooks, probably some of the best lending rates and flexibility are found at banks. You're asking for a loan, they are a business, no one is forcing you to take the loan. You know exactly what you're getting into when you sign, or at least it is disclosed to you, if you don't undersatnd or don't pay attention, it's your own fault.

 

[B. Elliott]

Banks aren't crooks, probably some of the best lending rates and flexibility are found at banks. You're asking for a loan, they are a business, no one is forcing you to take the loan. You know exactly what you're getting into when you sign, or at least it is disclosed to you, if you don't undersatnd or don't pay attention, it's your own fault.

I didn't imply anyone being forced to accept a loan at a given rate. It's a choice the person wanting the loan must make. Banks usually have the best rates simply because your only other option is... to go to a smaller establishment with higher rates. Or, take a loan from a friend that is very wealthy, but guess what... that's illegal.

I'll better clarify my statement; Most banks are crooks. I've dealt with a few of them personally, as quite a few friends have, and it typically turns out to be the larger corporations. I have had no problems whatsoever with the small 'hometown' banks. The same goes for everyone else that I personally know who has gone to the smaller banks... Lower interest rates, better service, less 'computer' screw-ups and the choices they can make aren't dictated by the 'computer system'.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Wow, he wasn't arrested was he?

No, luckily he wasn't. But he's saying he'll try to buy something with the money, and I'm afraid that's when he WILL get arrested. Only way he could try and "launder" it would be to buy something used from a garage sale or something. But that would just be screwing some other poor sap. He wouldn't do something like that.

I'm not sure about the laws, but you would think that your father would have the ground to sue the bank for putting him in that position... The bank failed to recognize and redistributed three counterfeit federal notes to a customer. Knowingly or not... ignorance is not an excuse.

Sure. That's what the legal system tells you to do. So do you hire a lawyer? Take a day off of work to go to court? All to get $300? It's just not worth it, and that's where the system fails.

Don't feel too bad though. I still think there's a family curse with mine. Ranging from my parents getting $12,000 stolen from them by a supposedly 'reputable' cabinet maker, to my grandfather, father and sister all getting their right eye put out. It's only a matter of time for me.

I tip my hat to you, sir. My family's curse seems to be centralized on my mother. She has had numerous surgeries on her stomach-region thing. I don't even know which parts they cut out and mutilated, but it's been a few surgeries to no avail, arthritis, bad back from an accident at work, broken arm and leg, and a torn rotator cuff. I don't understand how she can still be cheerful after all that.

Banks aren't crooks, probably some of the best lending rates and flexibility are found at banks. You're asking for a loan, they are a business, no one is forcing you to take the loan. You know exactly what you're getting into when you sign, or at least it is disclosed to you, if you don't undersatnd or don't pay attention, it's your own fault.

They're not crooks, but there is something seriously wrong with them. They loan you money that isn't theirs. It's like if you were going on vacation and asked if I could watch over your house while you were gone. I said, sure, for a price. Then someone wanted to rent the house for the time you were gone and I rented it out to them, for a price. This is exactly what's happening. You're paying the bank to keep your money safe and easy to handle, which is a good deal, but then they decide to lend the money to other people for a price.

 

[Moonbear]

In this segment of "Why Does Poop Loop's Family Always Lose?" I present you with $300.

That is, $300 that my dad withdrew from the bank that turned out to be counterfeit. So what happens now? They can take the money, do a thorough test, and if it's counterfeit, we're screwed. That's it. Legal theft from a bank. How do you like them tomatoes?

The backstory is that my dad went to Poland to repay his dad's debts and stuff. He took cash. When he got there and tried to pay for something, three $100 bills came up as fake.

So what can we possibly do now?

Does he have his receipt from the ATM withdrawal? I don't know if it will help, but I'd bring in the money on a busy lunch hour when there are lots of customers in there opening new accounts, the receipt, and first explain the situation calmly, and if they don't make good on the money they distributed through their ATM machine, I'd start reexplaining the story louder so more customers will hear it each time. Stay as calm as possible, but you can show your irritation through the volume of your voice.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Not an ATM withdrawal, it was with a cashier. The ATM's here only give out 20's and you can only take out a few hundred at a time. I think he took out a thousand or something, and he got it all in 100's. 3 of them were bad.

 

[Moonbear]

Not an ATM withdrawal, it was with a cashier. The ATM's here only give out 20's and you can only take out a few hundred at a time. I think he took out a thousand or something, and he got it all in 100's. 3 of them were bad.

Ooh, maybe the cashier's fingerprints are still on it.

I certainly would try going back to the bank and trying to get them to compensate (that or try redepositing it with the same cashier who can't tell the difference ). I don't know how likely it is to work.

The other option is simply to report it to the police and turn it into them as evidence. Let them trace it...yeah, you're out $300, but you don't risk getting arrested trying to pass off counterfeit money with anyone. Then, after you make the police report about where the money came from, go back to the bank with the police report rather than the cash. There's a problem if a bank is handing out counterfeit money.

 

[B. Elliott]

Not an ATM withdrawal, it was with a cashier. The ATM's here only give out 20's and you can only take out a few hundred at a time. I think he took out a thousand or something, and he got it all in 100's. 3 of them were bad.

Honestly, i'd do exactly what Moonbear stated. When it's a larger bank, they look at your business as just an 'account number'. It takes potential bad press for them to look at you with any seriousness... that, or if you have A LOT of money to let the bank 'hold' (loan away/use to make more money).

 

[B. Elliott]

I tip my hat to you, sir. My family's curse seems to be centralized on my mother. She has had numerous surgeries on her stomach-region thing. I don't even know which parts they cut out and mutilated, but it's been a few surgeries to no avail, arthritis, bad back from an accident at work, broken arm and leg, and a torn rotator cuff. I don't understand how she can still be cheerful after all that.

That which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

 

[Evo]

Who said the bills were fake?

It sounds like your father still has the bills? Something sounds fishy. If a bank or the authorities verified the bills were counterfeit, the bills would have been confiscated, and your dad probably arrested.

 

[Moonbear]

Who said the bills were fake?

Good point too. If they just used one of those pens on them that turns color, those just test for starch (looking for bills made of paper rather than rag), but that would also react if the bills had been in a bakery and got flour on them even if they're real.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Who said the bills were fake?

It sounds like your father still has the bills? Something sounds fishy. If a bank or the authorities verified the bills were counterfeit, the bills would have been confiscated, and your dad probably arrested.

This happened in Poland, so I'm guessing they just LOLed and let him go.

My understanding is he called the bank and they told him they would do a thorough testing on the bills (send them somewhere). If they were fake they'd just take them and LOL as well.

I'll tell him about the starch thing, though. They did just use the pen on them, so it's probably a good idea to check more thoroughly. Thanks Moonbear.

 

[Chi Meson]

Perhaps they were just not the lastest variation of the C-note? It has had three changes in the last 10 years. Only the latest printings are accepted at many foreign exchanges. Just a thought (now I think of it, it seems kinda obvious).

The most significant thing about American bills is the paper. Does the paper feel right or wrong? feel the friction between your thumb and fingers. It's rare that counterfeits can replicate that feel.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Who said the bills were fake?

It sounds like your father still has the bills? Something sounds fishy. If a bank or the authorities verified the bills were counterfeit, the bills would have been confiscated, and your dad probably arrested.

We had a similar experience a few years ago in Italy. My wife exchanged dollars for lira at a bank in Rome. One of the 50,000 lira notes was counterfeit, but we didn't notice it. The bill was so fake that when we went to spend it the clerk didn't even need one of those counterfeit sniffing pens, she just handed it back to us and I ended up with a worthless souvenir that cost about $20. My barber has decorated his wall with currency from around the world. I gave it to him to paste up there.

 

[rewebster]

Chi Meson is right. There are new versions of 100's out there. Check---ask your dad if Bush is the portrait on them. That may be why they don't want to exchange them.

 

[wildman]

LOL. Someone passed me a XEROXED! five dollar note and I accepted it. The police laughed when I showed it to them.

If it is a large bank and you have a receipt and you have a good record with them, the bank will usually make good on the money. $300 is not much for them.

 

[Cyrus]

Perhaps they were just not the lastest variation of the C-note? It has had three changes in the last 10 years. Only the latest printings are accepted at many foreign exchanges. Just a thought (now I think of it, it seems kinda obvious).

The most significant thing about American bills is the paper. Does the paper feel right or wrong? feel the friction between your thumb and fingers. It's rare that counterfeits can replicate that feel.

I like to rub it all over my face and then smell it...sniblackblack...aaaHHHHHHhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh... hold me..

 

[Poop-Loops]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I talked to my mom about it and here are some more facts:

He withdrew $8000 from the bank that day to take to Poland.

When they checked his money in Poland, they used one of those UV scanners. It's possible it didn't catch a different version of the banknote and decided it was fake.

I'm not sure what my dad has done so far, I'm not even sure that he called the bank. I'll talk to him about this. I don't want to be out $300 just like that. It's just not right.

Taking it straight to the Police might be a good idea. It's much better than getting arrested for trying to buy something with the bogus money and getting caught.

 

[Evo]

Taking it straight to the Police might be a good idea. It's much better than getting arrested for trying to buy something with the bogus money and getting caught.

That's a good idea and perhaps contact the bank and let them know what has happened.

I went to Siciliy just after they changed the $20 bill, and none of the foreign currency exchange machines that are on every corner would accept the new bills. Luckily I was afraid that would happen, so brought a lot of old $20s with me.

 

[Danger]

Police involvement is definitely the proper way to go, even if it means losing the money. Make sure that it's a public (ie: with witnesses) forfeiture to rule out a corrupt official just taking it and doing nothing. I know that it sounds paranoid, but stuff like that does happen. At least by turning it over, you're absolving yourself and your dad of any subsequent trouble such as would occur if he tried to spend it. The bank should be responsible for reimbursing you.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Yes, but you have to understand that there is no way of proving that this money came from the bank, so it doesn't matter who we involve if nobody believes us.

 

[Danger]

Still, call the police in on it. It's the safest way to approach the matter, even if it incurs a monetary loss.
As Moonbear pointed out, the teller's fingerprints or epithelial cells on the bills will verify where it came from.

I just thought of something else... might this be a sanctioned bank scam, wherein they keep real money and 'launder' funny money through their clients?
Also, if this was done in the US, it would be a Treasury Department matter rather than something for local police.