Misadventures in Banking

Sometimes people just astound, and horrify, me.

I checked my business checking account online last night. Hmm, said I, what is this $165 "check withdrawal"? I'd bought a fair amount of supplies lately so I checked all the invoices - no $165 even. Now, I know that, in the general way of things, $165 isn't considered a lot but, you know, I'm a microbusiness; it's over $15% of my checking account balance so, by now, I've started to get a little concerned.

And, it turns out, I had right to be.

Someone walked into a branch of my bank and withdrew $165 from my checking account. They spelled my name wrong on the slip, the signature doesn't match mine in the slightest, and the driver's license number doesn't match mine. Fortunately.

I am also very fortunate to know the branch manager personally. I can't swear to this, obviously, but I'm pretty damn sure I wouldn't have gotten the help and belief I did from a customer service rep on the 800 number. They'll credit my account with the money (eventually) and they're going to try to track down the thief.

Unfortunately, unless they do catch her, I will probably never know how she got my business checking account number. I don't use but 2-3 of those checks a month and don't carry the checkbook with me. So the simplest conclusion is that either (a) one of the companies/offices to which I wrote a check has a dishonest employee or (b) someone I welcomed into my home copied the number down from where my checkbook sat in my back hall. And the kicker about the second one is that only friends ever get into my back hall. I'd really prefer to believe that none of my friends would be so despicable.

Assuming it wasn't one of my friends (please, God!), and barring anything really bizarre, it was probably, then, either someone at our town tax collector's office or the secretary of the state's office. While that, too, would be despicable, it at least wouldn't be quite so personal. Also, if it is that situation, she's probably doing it to more than just me.

The whole situation just makes me feel slightly sick.