I’ll do my best to explain this, although it’s a bit intricate.
On 5/28, a significant sum was deposited directly into my savings account via check. This caught my attention due to the large amount. Initially, as the transaction was pending, I couldn’t access detailed information. However, I assumed it was an error and trusted that Chase, my bank, would promptly rectify it.
The next morning, 5/30, I observed that the deposit was no longer pending but placed on hold, rendering the funds inaccessible. With this change in status, I could examine the transaction further, including viewing copies of the check and deposit slip.
To my astonishment, the check was made out to me. Given the rarity of my last name, this was particularly perplexing. It was a cashier’s check from a nearby Huntington branch, with an illegible signature raising concerns about its origin.
I immediately contacted Chase’s customer service and spoke with a helpful representative who explained that they could only provide limited information until the funds were released from hold. Once that occurred, they would disclose details about the check issuer.
This morning, 5/31, I discovered that my savings account had been overdrawn by the amount of the check.
Upon contacting customer service again, I encountered unhelpful and evasive responses, especially after they noted the overdraft.
Their explanation for the check’s removal was simply labeled as a “bank teller error,” which didn’t clarify how my name ended up on the deposit slip. Despite repeated inquiries about the check issuer, they avoided providing any information.
Here’s my current understanding: someone visited a nearby Huntington Bank branch, obtained a cashier’s check made out to me, and then proceeded to a Chase location to deposit it into my savings account using a handwritten deposit slip.
The check remains marked as “on hold” in my account.
At this juncture, my primary concern is not the money but my safety. Who could have access to both my name and savings account number, especially someone in close proximity to me?
What steps should I take now? Am I legally entitled to both the funds and information about the check issuer? How would the return of the check be managed if it’s equivalent to cash? I’m deeply unsettled by Chase’s handling of this situation.
I also want to emphasize that if it’s confirmed the money was intended for another individual with the same unique name in my area, I have no intention of keeping it, particularly considering the substantial amount involved.