Consumer complaint received 2022-01-06
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION
State: MD
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I was defrauded out of {$3400.00} by a counterfeit cashier 's check. This could have been prevented very simply by the bank teller, telling me when I deposited it, that even though the funds are credited the next day, it could actually take up to 2 weeks for the check to clear. This simple instruction could have saved me the financial loss. I had thought cashier 's check was the same as cash. Even your website seems to imply this when I selected cashier 's check- your website says : " a check with guaranteed funds from a bank or financial institution so it will never bounce ''. That was the impression I had about cashier 's checks as well did all of my friends. 

Here is what happened : I had a cemetery crypt listed for sale at XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX in XXXX, MD. It was listed on XXXX  ( I have since removed the listing ). 

I was contacted by a XXXX XXXX XXXX ( email is : XXXX ) to purchase the crypt. I told him I wanted a cashier 's check. I was sent a check for {$7500.00} when the cost of the crypt was {$3800.00}. The check is from XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX. He then said his secretary made a mistake and I was to send the difference ( keeping some funds for my trouble ) to the planner via a bank to bank transfer. My bank had made the funds available to me the following day. 

I was hesitant about the bank to bank transfer as I did not want him to have any of my account info. He then wanted me to go to XXXX XXXX XXXX and deposit the funds to : XXXX XXXX at account number XXXX. I did deposit {$3400.00} on XX/XX/XXXX to this bank account. He had wanted the funds deposited on Thursday and I told him I could not go on that date due to other appointments. He said it was possible that if the planner did not get the funds in time, the funeral could be cancelled. I told him I could not go on Thursday but did do this on Friday. I also called my bank 's XXXX number about the legitimacy of the cashier 's check and was told the funds were available. 

On XX/XX/XXXX he emailed and said that because the funds didn't get there on Thursday, the event is cancelled and he wants me to send the remaining funds back but again, keeping {$500.00} for my trouble. 

I did some research and read about scams involving cashier 's check. I contacted my bank and that rep told me because it is a California bank it could take up to 2 weeks for the funds to clear. Why wasn't I told this by the bank on the first phone call? By then the check had bounced. 

Then he asked that funds be sent as follows ( text is from his email ) : " Name ... XXXX XXXX XXXX Address .... XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX lA XXXX Also according to XXXX XXXX he said the maximum amount he can receive in his area through XXXX XXXX is XXXX 

So please, I will appreciate it if you can split the funds.. Send XXXX $ via XXXX XXXX today and you can send another {$1500.00} Through XXXX ''. 

I have sent him an email this morning saying I am not sending any funds until after the 1st of the year. 

XXXX XXXX 's address ( from the envelope that the cashier 's check came in ) is : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX His phone number ( although I have never called him ) is XXXX. 

The cashier 's check bounced on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Yes, I missed all of the I have contacted the following agencies : Maryland Attorney General : was told it was fraud XXXX XXXX Attorney General : no response M & T Bank : received email essentially indicating not their fault as it takes several days to process a check - then they should make customers aware of this XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX : called and talked with an assistant manager - indicated teller should have started asking questions when I showed up with {$3400.00} and account # written on a piece of paper but I was not on the account - she made me go get a money order and I came back with that but had no idea how to fill it out Local sheriff 's office : told it was fraud but they had never seen it with a cemetery plot gravesolutions.com website : told I was given an email when I posted an ad as to how to make sure sale is legitimate ( this was months and months ago - how am I to remember an email when I get 50-100 emails a day ) - I had gone to their website to see if they had a section on how to detect fraud and there is nothing about that Internet Crime Commission : no response XXXX Fraud Line : told it was fraud but they had not heard it as to cemetery plots

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation