Lazy Banks Went Along With ATM Scam

You know that ATM scam where four friends from NYU were busted for repeatedly claiming their ATM cards were stolen when they were actually taking in $422,000? Well, the Post reports that it went on for so long (between 2003 and 2008) "because bank officials thought it was easier to just pay up, according to one of the investigators who helped break the case." Former NYPD detective Harry Houck Jr. says that he questioned one of the suspects, John Tluczek, who claimed his ATM card was stolen and account looted—Tluczek's excuse: "I was planning to go on vacation, and I had a piece of paper in my car that had all my PINs written down. I just left it in my car." Houck was suspicious and found out that Tluczek wasn't even on vacation! "But Houck said that when he called other banks to ask them about Tluczek, they had also heard of him, but decided to just pay him off rather than fight. The banks paid because Tluczek and his cohorts were taking advantage of a part of federal banking law that allows people to get money back within 10 days if their ATM cards are stolen and used to make withdrawals." Investigators think Tluczek and his cohorts' haul could tally up to $1 million. Image from NY Post

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By Jen Chung in News on July 30, 2009 9:41 AM

Comments [rss]

just saying

Now I'm really mad. About a year ago I made a withdrawal from HSBC's ATM on 5th Ave @41. The receipt came out, but the money didn't.

The next day I made a special trip to that bank (HSBC's headquarters in NYC!) and explained what happened. The woman at the customer svs. desk told me that they would check their surveillance cameras and audit the ATM machine involved. She assured me that the money would be credited back to my bank acct. within a few days.

To make a long story short, it took me numerous phone calls as well as 3 more visits before I finally got my money from these idiots.

It took me more than three weeks of intensive follow-up to resolve this problem!

lilianic

Oh my god, what a sucker I've been. Spending only money I've actually had, when all the time I could have been scoring at the bank's expense. What was I thinking, following the rules?? I could have been raking in the dough with this kind of scam.

What kind of lazy freaking bankers wouldn't have at least called the cops and asked them to look into this? Everybody at the banks who knew about this but allowed it to continue should be charged as accessories.

MT

Lazy? Maybe they were just victims of an overly generous federal law that screws them indirectly.

jaycjay

The law requires them to make reimbursement. It doesn't prevent them from investigating, and continuing to investigate after making the payment.

chris

I can't believe that bankers would have such an attitude. Ugh.

Cautious Pessimist

Really? What was it like spending the last year and a half on Mars, living in a cave, with your eyes shut, and your fingers in your ears?

I can't believe the bankers didn't approach them and ask for a cut to keep quiet about it and continue sweeping it under the rug for several more years.