A Chase Bank teller who befriended an 86-year-old senior allegedly fleeced the women out of most of her $400,000 in savings, says the Chicago Sun-Times, and even though the bank caught the teller and fired her… they’re taking a long time to repay the stolen money.
The public guardian’s office was put in charge of Jessie McDonald’s affairs after a doctor found that she was suffering from dementia. They claim that Chase is preying on a vulnerable consumer by not repaying the stolen money in a timely fashion: “This [teller] was helping herself to about $300,000,” Public Guardian Robert Harris said. “It’s even more egregious when it’s someone who is completely reliant on her savings. She is so vulnerable. You would not expect the bank would be the one preying on her at this point.”
Chase says that they were the ones who caught the teller in the first place, and that they’re working to return the money:”We . . . urged them to intercede on behalf of Mrs. McDonald, and we are currently working with the public guardian’s office to resolve the financial details,” Chase spokesman Tom Kelly said.
Mrs. McDonald owns a townhome in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, but is currently living at Crestwood Care Centre in Crestwood, IL. Her bills are being paid from her savings, but she’s running out of funds. In order to move home, her townhome will need extensive renovations and she’ll need 24-hour care. In short, she needs her life savings back or she may end up on public assistance.
The Sun-Times says that there’s currently an FBI investigation taking place, but the teller hasn’t been charged criminally. Mrs. McDonald now understands what happened to her and she says she’s disappointed.
“You trust somebody. She was so nice. And I wasn’t thinking,” McDonald told the Sun-Times. “I was really disappointed in her.”
‘She was so nice’ [Chicago Sun-Times](Thanks, Ellen!)
(Photo: epicharmus )
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Fraud of this woman’s account is the liability of the bank, whom the teller was an agent of. Same as if someone presents a forged check and the bank cashes it; if you agree to swear out a warrant, the money is instantly credited. The money should be returned to this woman int he same manner.
Seth1066, thank you for clearing that up. I don’t understand how anyone can just take that “oh, well” attitude when a defensless old woman has been taken advantage of. If it were their hard earned money, they wouldn’t just suck it up.
Furthermore, the teller was a representative of the company, and had access and knowledge of the woman’s account information through her position with the bank. Therefore, the bank is liable. If you have a credit card and fraud is proven to have taken place, the credit card company reimburses you.
This is a prime example of why your money is FDIC insured. For both your and the bank’s protection. They are responsible for returning this woman’s money. Thank goodness her public guardian and the government has stepped in. I just read that Chase has reimbursed her. Now maybe they’ll be filing charges against the woman who stole it.