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#1912988 - 04/09/14 03:52 PM can we ask a question about check memo line
Burgess Offline
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well - we saw one of our not for profits had a check clear with something that looks bad on the memo line - like maybe the check was not written for acceptable not for profit mission type purpose.
my question is - is the memo line of a check something we can call the customer about - "I see you issued ck #xx with a memo explanation of _________, are you sure about this?"
do banks do this, call customers about the memo explanataion of the check purpose?"
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#1913000 - 04/09/14 04:02 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Burgess
Matt_B Offline
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I would highly doubt anyone would spend time or resources on something like this. If a customer writes "for cocaine purchase" on the memo line, you can be pretty darn sure they weren't serious. And for a non-profit, you're not in a position to police the types of transactions they are doing.

Unless it's something that would make you consider a SAR, which you could back up by unusual activity on the account, there wouldn't seem to be any reason to me that you would want to even spend another moment thinking about it. Do you also review business accounts and evaluate if their debit card purchases might actually be personal purchases, then call them to waive the flag? I would consider this comparable.

But I guess to answer the question of "can" you? Sure, I don't know why you couldn't. I just wouldn't expect to get anything productive out of it.
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#1913005 - 04/09/14 04:15 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Burgess
ACBbank Offline
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You can ask a customer anything you want. If something seems unusual, sometimes the best course of action is to ask the customer. There may actually be a legitimate reason for whatever issue you see.
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#1913018 - 04/09/14 04:31 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Burgess
Elwood P. Dowd Offline
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You can ask anything you want of any customer you want. It's not so much what they say as how they say it that may yield some insight. Rita Crundwell's bank certainly wishes they had asked her about some city expenditures that were questionable.
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#1913020 - 04/09/14 04:36 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Burgess
edAudit Offline
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edAudit
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I would ask and depending on the outcome (and what was written) they may be a former customer.
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#1913302 - 04/10/14 01:32 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Elwood P. Dowd
Burgess Offline
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thanks everyone - and that was a great link from Ken Pegasus on this issue.
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#1913630 - 04/10/14 08:42 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Burgess
HappyGilmore Offline
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Pulling people out of the ditc...
well, please don't ever look at any check i've written to one of my siblings...the memo line is nothing but a joke
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#1913642 - 04/10/14 08:56 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Burgess
devsfan Offline
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Happy, you should pay them in Bitcoins instead.

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#1913648 - 04/10/14 09:03 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line devsfan
edAudit Offline
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either that pr cash that he withdrew in amounts of $9,999.00 over 5 consecutive days laugh
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#1915148 - 04/16/14 09:35 PM Re: can we ask a question about check memo line Burgess
C-Lo Offline
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 47
Ohio
Matt_B - While we don't specifically evaluate for the item you mentioned, if we saw this type of activity in the course of an EDD review, i.e. business-type transactions occurring in a personal account, we'd reach out to the customer. Likewise, if we saw personal expeditures on a business account, we'd reach out. Both may be indicative of something not right.
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