# Name Question re: Banking **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585 "2010-06-02T01:32:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/21 "2010-06-03T11:47:22Z")
I use a different first name to the one I was given. All my accounts, ID etc are in my real name. My old work gave me a cheque when I left made out to the name I use, but with my real last name (which I always use). I had real trouble getting the bank to accept it. I pointed out that the cheque was written by employer X, and if they looked at my account I’d been receiving paycheques from employer X for however long. My last name is unusual; I don’t know why they had to be such a pain about taking the cheque. But it did take about half an hour in the bank before they would do it. (This is clearly in the UK, though, so probably not that helpful.) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/22 "2010-06-03T12:18:30Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Sure there is. It happened all the time when I was a bank FSR (Financial Sales Representative). > > Say I want to raid my brother’s account. I know what bank she has a deposit at, but not her account number. I go to the teller window, identify myself as him, and say I want to depoosit a $100, but don’t have my account number on me. I know his birthdate and give that, and the teller is careless and allows the deposit. The account number is on the receipt. I am now a step closer to moving all the money from his account into my pocket. Why is having someone’s account number a big deal? Cheques all around the world have the account number printed on them. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/23 "2010-06-03T12:34:43Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Why is having someone’s account number a big deal? Cheques all around the world have the account number printed on them. Plus, I’ve never been to a bank that would print my entire account number on anything. it’s always XXXXXXXXX3454 (for example). ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/24 "2010-06-03T13:20:46Z")
The banks can and probably will accept the check with the different name, but do not have to. I was once at a closing where the seller was a senior bank officer. The buyers came with a bank check made out to a misspelling of the seller’s name. The seller quite properly rejected the check and required them to go back to their branch to get a new check with the correct spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/25 "2010-06-03T14:27:48Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Plus, I’ve never been to a bank that would print my entire account number on anything. it’s always XXXXXXXXX3454 (for example). Yeah, well I haven’t had a cheque book or even seen a personal cheque for about 15 years, but they used to have the entire account number. Over here account numbers are handed out fairly regularly (by people, not the bank) so that you can deposit funds. My internet banking home page has dozens of account numbers for family, friends, and businesses. I’m not sure how I can use it to take money _out_ of their accounts though. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/26 "2010-06-03T14:42:11Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Why is having someone’s account number a big deal? Cheques all around the world have the account number printed on them. I didn’t say it was the be-all and end-all. I said it was a step. The next step in this scam will be to call the bank the next day to try to make a change in the account. The bank sales person asks for proof that the caller is the account holder, and the caller provides the last deposit. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/27 "2010-06-03T17:14:46Z")
> [@Billdo](#): > > The banks can and probably will accept the check with the different name, but do not have to. > > I was once at a closing where the seller was a senior bank officer. The buyers came with a bank check made out to a misspelling of the seller’s name. The seller quite properly rejected the check and required them to go back to their branch to get a new check with the correct spelling. I’ve worked in payment processing for a large company, and that is how it’s _supposed_ to be. All the anecdotes in this thread are people fudging the lines (which we also used to do - if the cheque was made out to something very close to our company name, we’d still process it). As for cheques having your account numbers printed on them, they sure do - as well as transit numbers, your name, and your address, and the bank you have an account at. It is fraud to use this information to clean out someone’s bank account (as a landlord did to me once years ago). I had to go to the bank and swear a statement with the bank and the police that it wasn’t me who came in and withdrew all the money from my account; the bank then reimbursed me (the signatures didn’t quite match - the lady impersonating me wasn’t careful enough to note that I loop my “a’s” under instead of over). ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/28 "2010-06-03T18:12:41Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’ve worked in payment processing for a large company, and that is how it’s _supposed_ to be. All the anecdotes in this thread are people fudging the lines (which we also used to do - if the cheque was made out to something very close to our company name, we’d still process it). > > As for cheques having your account numbers printed on them, they sure do - as well as transit numbers, your name, and your address, and the bank you have an account at. It is fraud to use this information to clean out someone’s bank account (as a landlord did to me once years ago). I had to go to the bank and swear a statement with the bank and the police that it wasn’t me who came in and withdrew all the money from my account; the bank then reimbursed me (the signatures didn’t quite match - the lady impersonating me wasn’t careful enough to note that I loop my “a’s” under instead of over). I had to deal with that as a bank FSR. That’s part of why I began paying for everything either electronically or in cash. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/29 "2010-06-03T22:21:40Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > I had real trouble getting the bank to accept it. I pointed out that the cheque was written by employer X, and if they looked at my account I’d been receiving paycheques from employer X for however long. My last name is unusual; I don’t know why they had to be such a pain about taking the cheque. But it did take about half an hour in the bank before they would do it. I once had a bank teller give me a similar hassle. She told me it would probably take 20 minutes or so to get it checked & authorized. But when I said that in less time than that I could take it across the street and use it to open a new account at that competing bank … suddenly her supervisor was right there, and it was all handled in less than 2 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/30 "2010-06-03T22:31:29Z")
Heh, yeah, funny how that can happen. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585/31 "2010-06-04T17:26:29Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I had to deal with that as a bank FSR. That’s part of why I began paying for everything either electronically or in cash. Yeah, I was REAL careful who got to see my cheques complete with signature after that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-question-re-banking/541585.md?page=1)