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Thursday, April 7, 2016

I’ll Need A Thumb Print


I’ll Need A Thumb Print
We recently received a tax refund.  Getting a refund was a pleasant surprise, but last year I was good about making my quarterly payments and I actually overpaid, so it was refund time. We got some of our money back.

The check was made to both Mrs. Cranky and I and we went to Mrs. Cranky’s bank to deposit it. Mrs. C pays the bills; I just supply some of the money when needed.  Because the check was in both of our names, I had to go to the bank with Mrs. C.

You may ask, “Why do you have to go just to have your wife deposit a check in both your names?”

I don’t know. 

I only know that I have to, because we have danced this dance before.  Possibly it is because Mrs. C does not have my last name.  She kept her former married name just because it was easier and I don’t really give a crap.  It is just a name.

Anyway, I accompanied Mrs. C to the bank and we deposited the check in her account, but first I was asked for a picture ID. 

I suppose Mrs. C could have stolen the check to take the money without my knowledge, forged my name, and brought a stranger to imitate me, so I understood and gave the clerk my driver’s license which has my picture.  The clerk scanned the picture and scanned my face and decided we were one and the same.

I was then asked for a credit card.  I have no idea why they needed a credit card. 

Perhaps If Mrs. C had stolen the check to take the money without my knowledge, forged my name, and brought a stranger who looked just like me with a fake driver’s license to imitate me, the bank could trip up her scheme by asking for a credit card; so I handed the clerk a credit card.

This whole thing was starting to irritate me, so I asked,

“What if I didn’t have a credit card, would you not let us deposit this US Government check.”

“It’s just bank policy sir.” She replied as Mrs. C gave me an elbow to the ribs.

The clerk wrote down the card number on the check next to my signature and then passed a small ink pad to me and said, “I’m going to need a thumb print.”

“What!” This was followed by another Mrs. Cranky elbow to the ribs.

“What are you going to do with my thumb print?”

“Sorry sir, I’m just going to need your thumb print on the check…its bank policy.”

I pressed my thumb on the pad and gave up my thumb print…at least it did not leave inky stuff on my thumb.  The clerk deposited the check and handed us a receipt.

“Thank you” I said, “Just one more thing, I need to see your manager.”

I received another shot to the ribs along with a dirty look.

“Ah… sure…Lisa, do you have a minute?”

Lisa the manager came over.

“May I help you sir?”

"Yes" I said as I slid the receipt back, “I’m going to need your thumb print.”

“Excuse me?”

Mrs. Cranky gave me the hardest rib shot yet.

“You’re taking my money, it is just my policy.”

Before the manager could respond, Mrs. C grabbed the receipt and yanked me away by my shirt sleeve.

“Never mind…ignore him; sometimes he’s a jerk.”

I thought it was a legitimate request.  

25 comments:

  1. Omgosh. I've been through that same process. Isn't it ridiculous, and yet somehow we're made to believe it's for our own protection. It never makes any sense to me, and then I have this irrational fear that they're going to use my thumbprint to commit a crime and I'll be serving time while the 12 yr. old bank clerk is on the beach in the Bahamas. :p

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  2. I think we should get a thumbprint of everyone we give money to!!

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  3. Geez, I just had ours direct deposited...
    And just to be clear, are there a lot of people trying to deposit money in my account that I don't know about? Like when you try to pay a bill over the phone and you have to jump through all the hoops to prove who you are. Look, if someone other than me is trying g to pay my bills, YOU LET THEM!!!

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  4. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable request to me. What's good for the goose is good for the gander and all that.
    It does seem a bit odd though, to be asking for thumb prints.

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  5. Seems fair enough to me. I wanted to make n extra payment into my mortgage account a while ago but I'd forgotten to bring in the account number. Even with several forms of ID they wouldn't let me do it without that number even though I told them they could look it up (based on all the info I gave them) and not tell me what it was. I mean, it's not like you can take money OUT of a mortgage account even with the number ...

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  6. Some banks have weird policies but the one you mention is weirder than any I've come across. I wonder what would have happened if Mrs C had gone on her own?

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  7. Sweetie won't leave a thumbprint, he makes me do deposits where they require one. But we have the same last name and one account, so it works out. As far as i can tell, they compare it to a database of known criminals so they can make sure no one is trying to use your account to funnel money illegally.

    It's still a dumb thing to have to do, though.

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  8. I can't recall being asked for a thumb print. I'd have loved seeing the expression on that manager's face when you asked for HER thumb print.

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  9. Wow, that was a lot to go through to deposit a check into your account. I know there is a lot of fraud with those governments checks, but wow.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  10. What the freak? That is seriously WACK!

    And I believe 'Banks' is my most written about topic since I started blogging. They certainly provide lots of fodder.

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  11. So now there's a check out there with your credit card number and thumb print where any unscrupulous bank employee can take a gander and make notes. Keep an eye on those card charges.

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  12. This is crazy - I don't think I'd have complied. Surely all banks don't have this policy? We recently had trouble depositing a trust check as we have done for the past 25 years. The money goes INTO the account - we can't take it out. A new young female manager felt that the trustees had to sign before it could be deposited (they don't live close enough to sign readily). We changed banks - the new bank is glad to receive the deposit without trustee signatures.

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  13. I have been out of the banking business too long so I can't even pretend to know. Perhaps it has to do with identity theft but it sure seems like over kill to me. Think you should go bank shopping.

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  14. I think your request was hilarious. But I have to admit I have occasionally poked my husband in the ribs when I thought he was being just too rude. One possibility... people are now stealing social security numbers and filing tax returns in other people's names, then pocketing the refunds. Maybe (some) banks have increased security to protect the innocent? It especially happens early in the tax season. And if they get your money before you file, the IRS says they can't do anything about it.

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  15. GIVING them your money to earn interest with and they run you thru the ringer - it's only fair...

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  16. and i think you're cool to not insist mrs c take your name or hyphenate. :)

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  17. Wow...that is really crazy. On those rare occasions when we receive checks, my husband just takes a picture of the check with the cell phone and deposits it into our account. We only go to the ATM when we withdraw money. I can't remember the last time I was INSIDE a bank.

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  18. You smokin' them "High Performance" cigarettes up there mister?

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  19. Dang! Who knew so many criminals made deposits?

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  20. You were absolutely right. Period. End of story.

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  21. LOL :) They were thorough to make sure you were the same person the check was made out to. We had papers notarized recently and one of them required our thumb prints, no clue why when 20 others didn't.

    betty

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  22. Wow, what bank do you do business with? The Bank of No Trust? The Bank of Disbelief? The Bank of Everyone is a Risk? The Bank of No-Crankies Allowed?

    okay, I'll stop now

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  23. I used to do business with a bank with no problems. Then I started having issues with my account due to bank policies. I switched to a credit union and problems stopped and less fees too.

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  24. We use a store based Master Card. We pay at the grocery store. Our balance is always over $1K so it requires a manager's approval every time I present full payment. I've frequently asked, "Why? If my check bounced you just wouldn't credit my balance, right?" The reply is always a vacant "huh?" from worker bees and managers alike. Am I missing something?

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