Posted: 4/21/2003 10:52:16 AM EDT
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So I go into Bank of America to cash a rent check that I have received. The tenant’s account is with BOA, and as I am leery of the check not clearing and I don’t want to pay a fee if it bounces, I decide to go to the bank and cash it. Whereupon the teller hands the check back to me, says, “Thumbprint please” and points to a little inkpad on the counter. Excuse me? Why do you need my thumbprint? I have my drivers license right here. “Back policy.” Don’t you think that is a gross invasion of privacy? “Sorry, that is the bank’s policy.” What, you going to ask me for my DNA next? Well, forget it. I’ll go to my bank. Thanks anyway. Am I just too damn paranoid??? WTF?? --LS |
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The local store up here started doing that... last time I tried to cash a check, they were doing that. Your print only goes on your check, so it comes back to your bank anyway. Still felt a little funny, so I said 'no thanks' and went to use an ATM. (I had just gotten my visa checkcard). Now I don't write checks to them. Zip through with my checkcard and get cash with nary a second look from the kid behind the counter. |
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Quoted: Am I just too damn paranoid??? WTF?? --LS Yes. But then again, my views may be a little tainted. I get fingerprinted all the time. I was just thumb printed while opening a corp account this afternoon at a bank. Having a NASD license, I get fingerprinted for the FBI background check everytime I switch employers. I was fingerprinted for my concealed carry for FBI and local background check. I was fingerprinted in the military, for security clearance background check. I am going to be fingerprinted whenever I apply for my Class3 stuff that will go to ATF and FBI. Bottomline, I am on every alphabet organizations fingerprint database out there. So I don't really see the big deal. In this electronic age, its part of doing business. Unless of course you want to live in the mountain and forget civilization all together. |
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Quoted: Commonplace does not make it acceptable. I agree 100% Now how exactly does giving your thumbprint prevent fraud? Assuming of course that the bank's claim of giving the print is what prevents fraud and not the reduction in persons even trying to pass a bad check. I honestly don't know how it prevents fraud. I don't know enough about banking to answer that. That is just what the little sign next to my teller says. |
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Been there done that..... ME:I dont care if its your policy, I was given this check by your customer, if you wont cash it I shall return it to him and tell him our deal is off, he defaulted. Your problem. THEM:We are not refusing to cash it, we just need a fingerprint for fraud ME:Get the manager please. THEM:Sir we must have a fingerprint. ME:Thats fine. You can explain to your customer why he lost his rights ohnthis deal. I am not giving you my fingerprints to cash a check written by YOUR customer. Have a good day. THEM:Sir, we are not refusing, you just have to... ME: No I dont, thats why Im leaving. Its your problem to solve with your customer, not mine. THEM:Ok Sir, we will cash it just this once. But just so you know its our policy to get a fingerprint on the check. ME: Thats fine (VWG) I refuse. Its not my problem, its their problem. I have done this twice, both times successfully. |
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I think it prevents fraud by linking you to the check. Even if you use several fake ID's your thumbprint would be the same for each check. Second, if you are passing bad checks chances are that you have been arrested before and they could use the finger prints from your arrest to ID you. Third if arrested the print is evidence that you personally cashed the check. BTW I don't think they even look at the thumb print and it would probably be easy to fake it or smudge it. |
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Actually think it's a good idea, however a little sulfuric acid can ruin a good plan. We had a group of travelers around here that would do a sales pitch on little old ladies and while one was talking the other would steal their check book. I'll put up with a little inconvienence if I can help catch just one of those bastards. By the way, Cav Vet, funny post! Enjoyed it! Yes, I will put up with it but understand your right to not want to. Your option to the bank was fair. |
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Quoted: I think that is if you are not a customer of BOA. think about it, if you were keeping track of all those people's $ would you want to risk somthing on check fraud? liscences can be faked fairly easy. Nope: they even fingerprint their own customers. Go through the drive-through... they usually just ask for ID. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Actually think it's a good idea, I'll put up with a little inconvienence if I can help catch just one of those bastards. Hmm....That sounds very much like "I would gladly give up a little freedom to feel a little safer". You may want to rethink that. Point made and taken! |
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I'm in agreement with [b]CavVet[/b] and [b]rileyindy[/b]. I see no way that this prevents fraud. WTF do they want with my fingerprint? What can they do with it and what business is it of theirs. I walked out. Screw them. I'm thinking of telling all my tenants from now on that if they bank with BOA or another bank with similar policies, they will have to pay in cash or certified check. This transaction is between me and my tenant. He provided me with a promissory note for the amount (and it was a small amount at that!) due for rent. They in effect refused to produce said funds as I thought they were obligated to do. I provided valid ID. Then tell them that they can take it up with their customer and that I will be charging their customer a late fee. --LS |
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I had this happen when a customer of mine bounced the first check and re-wrote another one about a week later. She was in a hurry to get her kitchen finished and asked me to go to her bank to cash the check so we wouldn't have to wait for it to clear. Teller asked me for a thumbprint before she would cash the check. I asked her to show me her tits first. Needless to say, it didn't get cashed that day, nor did I get a peepshow. And the customer had to wait until her check cleared through my bank to get the remainder of her cabinet doors. [:D] If my state-issued driver's license ain't good enough ID for you, too bad. |
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Quoted: It's really easy to smear it. roll your thumb and then drag heavily all the way across it before lifting your thumb off the paper. Hah, funny thing is, I tried that. When he asked for my thumbprint, I stuck it in the ink, placed it on the check and twisted when I removed it. He immediately asked me to do it again and that it was smeared. I looked at the print and it was actually quite clear and not smeared at all. Then I went to speak to the manager and the rest it written above... --LS |
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Quoted: I was going to post some legal crap about what checks are and why you don't even have to sign the back when presenting one at the bank it is drawn on, but you guys don't care about the UCC, and the banks have all the power anyway. Please do... I'm interested. Heck email it to me if you don't want to post it here. Quoted: So why not just give em a smudge and twist print I tried. He was actually watching for that and asked me to re-do the print. Even though it was cleatr. (twisting didn't work that time) --LS |