Jim Lane

Has this ever happen to any of you?
Last week I had a couple of checks so I went to the bank I always use.(Wells Fargo) I go inside and do the usual wait, so I finally get to the window and the teller cashes my checks, She counts out the money all in large bills the way I always get it and I left the bank.
Now 3 days later I go to Home Depot, it's 11:45 P.M. and I am at the register and I hand her a $100.00 bill so she looks at it and says it isn't right. I said WHAT are you talking about.. She said I cannot take this bill I think it's counterfit It did not glow under her black light. By then there is every cashier there and I said it looks real to me so I pulled out my Surefire light with the UV filter and put it on the bill and sure enough the watermark and tape glowed. She started getting agitated so I paid her with $20.00$ and left.
Now I could of just bought something else with it and be rid of it but honest me I take it back to the bank I got it from with the reciept from the teller and said I just got this bill from this bank 3 days ago from that window and the store says it is counterfit. So the manager comes and looks at it and says yes it is counterfit and he will have to take it, Huh?? Yes I am going to take it and I will have send it to the secret service, it will take about 15 days to find out. Fine, give me $100.00 and you can have to do whatever you want. She said NO I am out the $100.00 and how can I be sure I got it from that bank? I said why would I bring a counterfit bill to the bank to have it laundered if I made it. do I look STUPID? Then she said it is my responsability to check my money before I leave the window.
I ask her how can she give me counterfit money from a bank when it is supposed to be insured, shouldnt I be able to trust a bank?
I said I will take it to be checked she scribbled on the face and I took the bill and left.
The more I thought about it the madder I got so today wife and I went to the local police station and told the seargent the story from the begining to where I stood. Anyhow he checked the bill with the black light and the pen and he said this bill looks fine to me then he had 2 others check it and they all said the same. He called the secret service and they told him what to check and it passed, then he gave them the serial # and they said it is on file, because the lady at the bank reported it.
So now on tuesday we have to go into L.A. to the Secret Service where they will check the bill to see if it is real or fake. If it is counterfit, I loose $100.00.
If I ever get another one I will never be a good person and take it to the bank, I will spend it somewhere.
What would you guys do, be honest it's $100.00
Jim.

sherod

Hasn't happened to me, but a good firend went thru the same thing. The bank kept his money, and it took about 3 weeks for the SS to return it to him. Now, he will not carry any bill larger than a 20.

I have the bank do a check on all bills before I leave the teller window.

To answer your question? Hmmm, not sure. I'd like to say I'd take it to the bank, but just not sure.

Ed

cmnspwr

Start paying in pennies. "Legal tender for all debt, public and private."

P.J

I have to agree, if I KNEW that I had been passed a Counterfeit from my bank, I would (now that I hear this mess) keep it right on going, not everyone checks bills. I guess that goes for banks too? Wells has been in business for over 100 years now, if they can pass bad notes, I guess you could have at the right place too.
Good move going to the local Law enforcement, atleast it shows diligence .sp?, like you really are a victim here, and not part of the problem.

ptm600

First off, I will not take bills larger than a 20. That's not near as much to be out. Second, I would try to unload any that I thought were counterfit at any merchant, because the way I understand it the one that is in posession of the bill when it's discovered to be counterfit is the one that's out. Just my .02

Shovelhead

Make the teller at the bank where you got the 'funny'? money in the first place examine and verify each and every bill they give you the next time.
So it hold up the line,.....who cares, it's YOUR money, let the bank hire more tellers.
Then have the manager come over and reverify each bill again before you leave.

It shouldn't take too long for them to get with the program.

Dieseldude4x4

I've got a hand full of hundreds in the safe and I hate to even think about using them. Wish I would have never taken them from the bank.

nickleinonen

that's why plastic is used for everything... i rarely pay for anything other than fast food with cash... amex and visa are great [and if need be, last resort, the debit card]... and to be dead honest, i think it is silly when i hear people that have credit cards for emergency use only... if i need money for some sort of emergency, a CC probably isn't going to cover it... that is what the bank line of credit is for...

John Faughn

I feel like both are money and government are conterfit for some time now , back to the gold & silver standard.

spunbearing

When she said that you are responsible for checking your own bills that's BS. I would have asked for the manager and told her that I wasn't a counterfeit bill expert but as a financial institution they SHOULD be. I've never gotten a counterfeit but one time I thought that I did. I was at a liquor store in San Diego and a mid eastern clerk gave me a $10 bill. When I looked at it the color on the back was brighter than normal so I said hey pal are you trying to give me counterfeit bills? Then I flipped it back over and saw that the date on the bill was 1934 A.
So I said oops nevermind. Then the guy demanded the bill back when he saw it. I said nope you gave it to me as change so it's mine. I still have it in my briefcase 12 years later. Don't know if it's worth anything but it's pretty cool.

torquefan

I have stopped trying to be a "do gooder" because of stories like yours. You just end up getting stung because of a large corporation trying to duck responsibility. Go spend that $100 at a dealership or some other business that has $crewed you in the past.

Haulin_in_Dixie

I cash and spend over $1000 a week and always get it in $100 bills never had a problem. I year or so ago I had to convert to an all cash operation due to truck stops charging $.03 for using a debt card or credit card. Now I generally have between $1000 and $2000 on me at any time. I would have to have bigger pockets to carry smaller bills. As it is I use a money clip with my dl and pistol permit in the middle, no more wallet. I have found that larger truck stops always check the bills. Wonder where you can get one of those pens that they mark them with? That would be the key, just mark each one before you leave the bank.

Haulin_in_Dixie

Thinking about this situation, I'll tell what I would do, take them to small claims court. Doubt that they would show up, you would get the $100 just to clear the case. That puts it in a small court, not the feds.

gasitman

EDITED BY ADMIN

I have never had that happen, but I think I would go pay a bill with it, like my truck payment, something with alot of money, if they find one, and the other 6 are okay, you might get out of it. Go to where something is fast paced, like a gas station that has real low prices, most of those kids don't care and don't check. There is a local station around here that has gas for around 10 cents cheaper all the time, I think I could hand them a photo copied one, and they would not catch it.

joel

In addition to this, I'd write down each serial number and have the bank sign a receipt that they gave them to you. More time in line, more inconvenience for them.

Or, if you do a lot of business with that bank and especially if you have any significant accounts there, close them, withdraw all the funds and let the manager know you are going to a competitor.

Haulin: according to Visa/MasterCard, it violates the terms of service for people who take those cards to charge extra to use them. Report them to V/MC - they might lose their ability to take those cards at all. That would put a crimp in their business since most people on the road (me included) don't carry large quantities of cash. I avoid those places that charge extra for using a card.

For those of you who would knowingly steal the hundred dollars ("Go spend that $100 at a dealership or some other business that has $crewed you in the past." etc), interesting philosophy. It's OK to steal (which is essentially what passing a counterfeit bill is) if someone passed it off to you, huh? Hmmm.... Might be interesting to see what some of you said in other threads about stealing/shooting or desertion or.......