Last week we had a client come in and open an account, then deposit several blank money grams, each for $1,000. Over four consecutive days, he brought in additional money grams for $1,000, none with a to or from name on them. Tyler and Amy both told him they suspected they were fraudulent. Amy asked him where they were from and he said, "From my friends. I've got friends all over the world and they are sending me money so I can redo my house." Highly suspect!
Today he came into the bank and wanted to wire the $8,000 he had received in money grams to Peru. When Amy asked why he was wiring money to Peru, he said he needed to pay for siding for his house project and the people he was getting the siding from were in Peru. Amy wouldn't do it. She told him it was fraudulent and she was not going to send money that wasn't really money to anyone. He stormed out of the bank saying he was going to call his attorney.
Shortly thereafter, he returned, demanding Amy release his money. He called his "representative" who demanded that Amy wire the money. Amy was helping another client open an account, but the man stood in Amy's doorway with the other person on the phone who demanded Amy release his money which wasn't really there. The man on the phone was one of the fraudsters and Amy would not back down one bit. Things became so heated that Tyler finally called the police. Amy had told him not to, but the whole situation kept escalating, and Tyler, in consult with Nick (region president), called.
Within just a matter of minutes, four officers arrived at the bank. They tried to convince the client to step outside, but he kept arguing that they couldn't do anything for him outside, and he wasn't going to leave until Amy did something for him. He did calm down and after fifteen or so minutes, left the building. By that time, bank security had become involved, Nick had been on the phone with Tyler, and it was determined that his accounts would be closed. We returned the $100 cash he had used to open his accounts the week before, and sent him on his way. Well, the policemen sent him on his way. He was banned from entering any branch of the bank and was told he would be charged with trespass if he came back, even to the drive-thru.
It was all so stressful. As soon as the client and the police left, I went and gave Amy a big hug. I could tell she was on the verge of bursting into tears, and while that would have been completely understandable, I don't imagine she really wanted to do that in the bank. I sent a co-worker to Swig to get her a drink, and we listened as she talked to decompress. Nick came to check on her and offered to buy us all lunch next week.
While it was all very tense, it certainly broke up the regular routine of deposits and withdrawals. Let's hope we don't see him again.
The man sitting at the desk is the client who was opening a new account.
He stayed in Amy's office as a buffer so that if the man standing tried to muscle in on Amy,
he would be there to help mitigate the situation.
So nice!
Amy bought him a Crumbl cookie and had Tyler deliver it to him.
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