Consumer complaint received 2024-06-15
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: OLD NATIONAL BANCORP (IL)

I am helping my mom with filing this complaint Her name is XXXX XXXX and she has a frozen checking account at Old National Bank. She is XXXX XXXX XXXX and has a hard time with technology and is unable to file the complaint herself so I am helping her. Her account number with XXXX was XXXX. There was suspicious activity occurring on her account. Her account is now frozen. The following is the timeline : XXXX My mom received a call from her bank ( XXXX ) asking if she ordered a replacement debit card. She said no. She was told they had cancelled her legitimate debit card and she was required to appear at XXXX branch at XXXX and XXXX in XXXX to clear up this matter and give her access to her debit card. 
XXXX We appeared at the bank and met with branch manager. The fraudulent debit card was sent out with rush delivery on XXXX to the thief who ordered it. My mother was charged {$42.00} for these transactions. XXXX cancelled the debit card when we appeared at the bank and told them she did not order it. A safe word was placed on my moms account to help guard against fraud. Her account was being monitored for suspicious activity. 
XXXX A counterfeit XXXX  check # XXXX for {$4900.00} with my moms info imprinted upon it, was deposited by mobile app into the acct of a XXXX XXXX XXXX a different financial institution, and was paid by XXXX XXXX 
Another counterfeit check # XXXX for {$4900.00} was deposited by mobile app into the account of an XXXX XXXX or XXXX at a different financial institution, and was paid by XXXX. 
A third counterfeit check # XXXX for {$4800.00} was deposited by mobile app into the acct of XXXX XXXX or XXXX at a different financial institution and was paid by XXXX. 
XXXX paid all three counterfeit checks totaling {$14000.00}. My mothers lifesavings decreased from {$16000.00} to {$1800.00} just XXXX days after appearing at the bank to guard against further fraudulent transactions occurring on her account. 
XXXX XXXX charged my mom {$110.00} for an order of XXXX XXXX XXXX that she did not order and never received. Nobody from XXXX called to verify that my mother ordered these checks. The order of the checks began with # XXXX and included the numbers of the checks that had already been cashed by XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. If they werent yet printed how could they have been cashed? XXXX from XXXX confirmed that the beginning check number of the order placed on XX/XX/XXXX was XXXX. We were not even told where XXXX mailed these new checks. This check order was charged to my mother. The forged checks were cashed XXXX days prior to the order to print them. 
XXXX My mother received her paper bank statement in the mail. This is how she learned about the forged checks and the theft from her checking account. She also saw a charge of {$110.00} for new checks ordered that she did not request on XX/XX/XXXX. She called me right away and I came over and looked at her bank statement. I called the bank to freeze her account. The only human I was able to speak with was to report a lost or stolen debit card. She was unable to help and told me Id have to call back during normal business hours. It was memorial day weekend. I then put a stop payment on check number XXXX and all checks after XXXX through XXXX. I left a voicemail on the recorder of the XXXX XXXX branch of XXXX requesting they freeze my moms account and stop cashing forged/counterfeit checks. 
XXXX I emailed branch XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX the XXXX XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX I explained the situation and asked how this could happen. I told them we need to come in and speak with them. XXXX replied and said she would not be in until XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX XXXX would assist with this matter. 
XXXX I received a phone call from XXXX XXXX XXXX She had no information about the XXXX forged checks and said my mother must file a police report to prompt an ONB investigation into this matter. We went to the police station and filed a report. 
XXXX My mother and I met with XXXX XXXX XXXX the bank. I asked how these checks were paid by the bank when the handwriting and signature were so obviously forged. XXXX told me that XXXX or more financial institutions received mobile deposits of the XXXX forged checks. She said the bank receiving the mobile deposit could not have known they were forged because they do not have my mothers signature on file to compare with the signature on the checks. I asked her why XXXX did not check the signature prior to payment. I told her my mothers signature has been on file at that location for over XXXX years. She could not answer my question. She also told us it could take up to XXXX  years to complete an investigation and return my mothers lifesavings. This is all the money she has. 
XXXX I received a call from XXXX XXXX XXXX verify a request made for funds from her account. It was an auto-payment for my mothers mortgage. I confirmed the payment was legitimate and told her to complete the transaction. 
XXXX XXXX I emailed XXXX and XXXX with questions. As of today I still have not heard back from anybody at XXXX. The account is active only for her direct deposits and to pay bills on auto-pay. 
At the time XXXX cashed XXXX XXXX checks against my mothers account, my mother was not in possession of XXXX checks. She has never possessed, ordered, or written an XXXX check since XXXX took over in XXXX. There has NEVER been an XXXX check that passed through her account. She has, and uses, the XXXX XXXX XXXX checks she had prior to the merge of XXXX with XXXX. The last legitimate check written from her account is XXXX XXXX XXXX  check numbered XXXX. That XXXX check is on her statement printed side by side with the XXXX forged XXXX checks. The handwriting is unmistakeable as is the fact that the only legitimate check is the First Midwest Bank check. She still has XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX However, XXXX paid XXXX checks that they never printed or provided to my mother. These checks did not exist so must have been counterfeit. We received copies of the back of the forged checks from XXXX XXXX. The back of XXXX of the forged checks ( check number XXXX ) is imprinted with XXXX safety features that must be met prior to cashing the check. The text reads, Do not cash if any of the features listed above are missing or appear altered. All XXXX of the features were missing on the XXXX forged checks cashed by XXXX. The checks were also XXXX checks out of sequence. 

My mother is an XXXX XXXX XXXX widow who suffers with severe anxiety. Her safety net is now gone. This is making her physically ill. We may have to get her medication adjusted. We are not being given any information. We have asked many questions and have not yet been given any answers. They will not tell us why they failed to compare the signatures of the forged/counterfeit checks draining her account, with her signature on file. They are not responding to our requests for information. They are not responding to our emails. They are not keeping us up to date on the status of the investigation. They will not tell us when my mom can expect to be reimbursed. My mother needs to open a new bank account and I do not know whether to have her open it at XXXX or another bank. She is asking me questions every day and I have no answers for her. This is no way for a bank to treat a customer they have wronged. XXXX enabled this theft. XXXX should NEVER have cashed the forged checks, but to cash non-First Midwest checks, XXXX numbers out of sequence, obviously forged, on a red-flagged account is just negligent. Her account had already been flagged for suspicious activity! They paid these checks XXXX  days after we visited the bank to speak about the suspicious activity and set up a safeword. This was bank error. I have copies of the forged checks paid by XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX and an image of the XXXX and only legitimate check paid by XXXX on XXXX. The handwriting and signature are not even close. For the last few years my mother averages writing XXXX check per month. I also have a copy of her bank statement. Can anyone please help to get XXXX to return my moms money? 
Thank you XXXX XXXX