# A business altered a check I wrote



## debodun (Dec 5, 2022)

Of course, it was to increase the amount. I paid what was originally asked. If they discovered a mistake they made in their calculation, it should be on their heads. I reported it to the bank and they went after the business and had them reimburse me for the difference. A few weeks later I received a letter from the business saying they wouldn't dispute the outcome, but I was no longer a customer of theirs. I didn't lose any sleep over it, though.


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## hollydolly (Dec 5, 2022)

Was this a corporate company ?


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## debodun (Dec 5, 2022)

No, private enterprise.


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## hollydolly (Dec 5, 2022)

debodun said:


> No, private enterprise.


Just beggars belief ..  so they tried to diddle you, and then when found out they had the nerve to cancel your account...   Hardly credible is it ?... sheesh!!


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## Pepper (Dec 5, 2022)

What kind of private enterprise?  Not asking for a specific name or anything, just curious.


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## Pepper (Dec 5, 2022)

Altering a check is criminal.


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## Tish (Dec 5, 2022)

Wow, The hide of some people.


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## Knight (Dec 5, 2022)

A check? 
Paying with a credit card is easier.


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## Pepper (Dec 5, 2022)

Why would you even want to do business with criminals again anyway?


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## debodun (Dec 5, 2022)

Pepper said:


> What kind of private enterprise?  Not asking for a specific name or anything, just curious.


Motel


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## Buckeye (Dec 5, 2022)

debodun said:


> Motel


Hmmm.  So, you gonna share the back story with us?  

p.s. I always paid cash for those sort of things.


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## Disgustedman (Dec 5, 2022)

"You caught us cheating you! How date you say anything! You aren't welcome anymore!"

I could compare it to a group, but won't.


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## Knight (Dec 5, 2022)

Buckeye said:


> Hmmm.  So, you gonna share the back story with us?
> 
> p.s. I always paid cash for those sort of things.


Always best that way


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## Jules (Dec 5, 2022)

Pepper said:


> Altering a check is criminal.


Agree.


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## Murrmurr (Dec 6, 2022)

debodun said:


> Motel


Ah. I was thinking liquor store, but yeah, I totally get it. Pretty much the same thing.

Me and my cousin bought a liquor-convenience store from a seemingly nice guy who'd immigrated from Syria, and we allowed one of his employees, his cousin "Jim" to stay on til we got things arranged the way we wanted (to where it made sense), and one morning I see a customer walk out without the newspaper he'd just been charged for, so I called out, "'Scuse me, sir, you forgot your paper!" He said he didn't buy a paper, and Jim looked at me with a weird expression. Like he was scared or something.

Apparently, after making coffee, it was Jim's job to replaced that newspaper with a new issue every day, including his last, and he always left it lying there on the counter, unopened. People had little choice but to set their purchases down on it, he'd ring them up and bag their stuff, and the customer paid the total, which included $2.00 for the newspaper ($2.75 on Sunday), and left. Without the paper.

That happened over 100 times a day.

Needless to say, Jim was fired that very morning and left without his usual "bonus". I didn't even let him take his coffee. In fact, he didn't come back for his final check. But I didn't write it anyway, so that worked out.


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## OneEyedDiva (Dec 6, 2022)

Gee Deb...why when I saw the title of this topic, I knew it had to be started by you?!  The darndest things happen to you! Consider yourself lucky that they "dropped" you. Since this was clearly fraud on their part, I wonder if the bank reported it to the proper authorities.


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## SeniorBen (Dec 6, 2022)

debodun said:


> Of course, it was to increase the amount. I paid what was originally asked. If they discovered a mistake they made in their calculation, it should be on their heads. I reported it to the bank and they went after the business and had them reimburse me for the difference. A few weeks later I received a letter from the business saying they wouldn't dispute the outcome, but I was no longer a customer of theirs. I didn't lose any sleep over it, though.


Write a review on Google reviews or Yelp describing what happened. You'll be doing the public a service.


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## Alligatorob (Dec 6, 2022)

Pepper said:


> Altering a check is criminal.


Yes it is, and I would have reported something like this to law enforcement.  Its theft!


debodun said:


> A few weeks later I received a letter from the business saying they wouldn't dispute the outcome, but I was no longer a customer of theirs.


Hopefully a decision you had already made well before getting the letter.


SeniorBen said:


> Write a review on Google reviews or Yelp describing what happened. You'll be doing the public a service.


Really good idea.


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## Pepper (Dec 6, 2022)

debodun said:


> Motel


That's the last thing I expected you to say.


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## C50 (Dec 6, 2022)

Why didn't you report it to the police? Or the local office of attorney General?  Altering a check is a crime.  If a business has an employee doing it they are probably depositing the actual amount in the business account and pocketing the extra.  A crime has been committed and someone should face consequences.


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## debodun (Dec 6, 2022)

Dirty-minded seniors!   I took a day trip and had to stop overnight at a motel. Is that so hard to understand?


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## hollydolly (Dec 6, 2022)

debodun said:


> Dirty-minded seniors!   I took a day trip and had to stop overnight at a motel. Is that so hard to understand?


the last thing in the world I would have expected would have been for you to say it was a Liquor store.. no-one knows you on here if they thought that even for a second... now knowing your penchant for fancy motels and hotels it doesn't surprise me.... errrm.. whaaat?... a Motel ? ...Ok whoever you are, fess up, what have you done with Our Deb ?


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## Jules (Dec 6, 2022)

Did they have a reason why they thought the price on the check was wrong.  

Whatever, it was more wrong/illegal to change the amount on the check.


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## debodun (Dec 6, 2022)

Jules said:


> Did they have a reason why they thought the price on the check was wrong.


I never received an explanation. I just surmise they discovered a subsequent error in the amount charged. I'm not going to beat a dead horse since I was reimbursed.


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## C50 (Dec 6, 2022)

debodun said:


> I never received an explanation. I just surmise they discovered a subsequent error in the amount charged. I'm not going to beat a dead horse since I was reimbursed.



See I would beat that dead horse all the way to the glue factory!

Yes you got reimbursed, so what, a crime was committed.  You don't alter a check accidently, someone did it because they thought they could get away with it and wanted to steal your money.  They may have done it a hundred times already, ripping off unsuspecting people, and because you didn't report it now they can rip off hundreds more.  

Frankly I would not let this rest.


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## Knight (Dec 6, 2022)

Waaaaaaay back when I wrote checks I did as I was taught. Fill the lines so no change can be made to either the written in long hand amount or the number amount.  Something as simple as leaving a space ahead can easily be changed.  

open space ahead of the long hand written amount  can change seventy five to  one seventy five. Of course then the $ 75.00  can be changed to $175.00 

Never used a check for travel it was either cash or a credit card for trips.  Cash was easy to keep track of. The credit card receipt showed exactly what the amount was. 

Have no clue why Deb experienced a problem, but she does manage to get into unique circumstances


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## Pepper (Dec 6, 2022)

debodun said:


> Dirty-minded seniors!   I took a day trip and had to stop overnight at a motel. Is that so hard to understand?


It's easy to understand and I am glad you treated yourself to an enjoyable time.


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## Remy (Dec 6, 2022)

I'd be interested in seeing that check. Can you look your checks up online or get a copy at the bank? I'm sorry this happened and the way they treated you. They are total jerks.

Years ago I ordered this continuing education thing we have to do for my job. I didn't realize it was an online coarse only. The woman was a real bitch on the phone when I called to enquire why I hadn't received the book. (she claimed she had called and left a message on my phone, which I never got, so I'm sure she never called) I finally got refunded but not the shipping charge that I paid though nothing was shipped to me. I had written a check. I use a different company and pay by credit card so I can dispute it if needed.


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## s76l42 (Dec 8, 2022)

It is always best to pay by credit card which offers more protection. What they did was a criminal act, fraud. They should be reported to the local police department, your states Attorneys General Office, the Federal Trade Commission, your state consumer protection office and the FBI. All can be done online. Unfortunately check fraud is on the rise.


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## Remy (Dec 8, 2022)

s76l42 said:


> It is always best to pay by credit card which offers more protection. What they did was a criminal act, fraud. They should be reported to the local police department, your states Attorneys General Office, the Federal Trade Commission, your state consumer protection office and the FBI. All can be done online. Unfortunately check fraud is on the rise.


I totally agree. But once you get to know deb from the forum, if she says she isn't going to do anything, I don't think she is. Can still try to work on her.


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## Kika (Dec 8, 2022)

I only had a check amount altered once, and it was not willful.
My gas bill was $450. xx.  I mailed in the check, and it somehow was paid as $*4500*. xx.  The bank used my overdraft protection to pay the check!!!  This was in the early 80s, so long before online banking, etc.

The bank and the gas company blamed each other. I think it was the bank.  It took several weeks to correct the error.  The gas company wanted to use the credit for future bills....ummm NO!!

It finally got straightened out without me ever finding out how it happened.  But I was check shy for a while, and paid my gas bill in person, in cash.

Now everything is on autopay with credit cards.  So easy to correct an error that way, but I have not had any problems.


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