# Would a bank really contact you over a "suspicious check" if the details are legitimate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2021, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-bank-really-contact-you-over-a-suspicious-check-if-the-details-are-legitimate/953666 "2021-11-02T04:42:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-bank-really-contact-you-over-a-suspicious-check-if-the-details-are-legitimate/953666/21 "2021-11-02T23:51:49Z")
Thank you all for the correction. Consider me educated. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2021, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-bank-really-contact-you-over-a-suspicious-check-if-the-details-are-legitimate/953666/22 "2021-11-02T23:55:57Z")
It doesn’t seem too different from how I would get a notification occasionally when I buy something online from a new place. I get an automated text confirming it was me. Combine that with the ability to go look at the physically scanned check, and I could see this as happening. On the other hand, I would be wary of any claims made by the sort of person who would air that sort of laundry on public Facebook. That type of anger loves to exaggerate. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2021, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-bank-really-contact-you-over-a-suspicious-check-if-the-details-are-legitimate/953666/23 "2021-11-03T00:22:00Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > They used the tactic of getting agitated and once playing the race card, all to cause discomfort in the bank employees so that they might prematurely approve it just to get out of the situation. Wouldn’t work on me, I’d just dig in harder. IME in retail cashiering, the ones who act like that are MORE likely to be up to something dishonest and I’m not going to back down from following necessary procedure (such as summoning a manager to assess the situation) if you’re behaving suspiciously like that. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2021, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-bank-really-contact-you-over-a-suspicious-check-if-the-details-are-legitimate/953666/24 "2021-11-03T00:57:16Z")
Yep that’s the point of them acting that way. Banks have several layers of security, and the teller would be backed up by probably two or more superiors in this case, who are likely to abide by policy no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2021, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-bank-really-contact-you-over-a-suspicious-check-if-the-details-are-legitimate/953666/25 "2021-11-03T05:18:20Z")
Like I said, if Cousin wants a large wad of cash ($2,000 would qualify) and does not have an acount in good standing at the bank, of course they would phone Uncle’s house and verify before handing over that much money. If the cheque is fraudulent, Uncle’s bank is the one on the hook for the loss. If cousin took it to her bank (a different bank) and deposited, then took out the money, Then Cousin’s bank instead is the one on the hook when it failed to clear. Simple precautions. There was the tale of an accountant in a large corporation where I worked who had a scheme where he set up a phoney company and invoiced one of the subsidiaries for consulting fees. It was $40,000 a cheque, since he knew the branch’s policy was to verify cheques over $50,000 even if deposited in an account. But oops, one summer the bank manager was off on vacation, and the business’s accounting dept. was slow because of vacations, so instead 2 cheques for $40,000 were on the bank branch manager’s desk. Because the total was over $50,000 (Same payor, same payee) he called to verify and the proverbial fan got splattered. Story goes it was somewhat funny when the call kept getting passed from department to department saying “We don’t know who that company is… we have no dealings with them, I can’t authorize that amount.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-bank-really-contact-you-over-a-suspicious-check-if-the-details-are-legitimate/953666.md?page=1)