I don't know if this is the right category but here it goes. When I was 19 yrs old, I was involved with a scam. I received a check for $5,000 as a contest reward from visiting a western union. I wasn't sure if it was a real check at first but I do remember going to a western union a month prior and was automatically entered into some contest. I researched the people who sent me this check and even called a western union to see if they knew about it. The woman I spoke with acted like she was unsure but she knows they have contests all the time and told me to take it to my bank and ask them. So that's what I did. I went to my bank and the first thing I did was say, "I'm not sure if this is a real check but I got it in the mail. Can you tell me what you think?" The bank teller looked into it and investigated it. She said the funds won't be available for 30 days and it will be investigated first. 30 days later, my bank calls me and lets me know that the check went through. I asked repeatedly if it's available for me to withdraw because I didn't want to get in trouble for a scam. It's just hard to believe that I'd win that much money. She told me it was fine and congratulated me on my winnings. So I went to my bank and withdrew all of the money and used it to pay for a college semester and make a few car payments. Six months later, my bank calls me. They told me that I gave the a counterfeit check and they wanted to press charges and were accusing me of writing them a fake check. I told them my whole story and I feel even though it's partially my fault for falling for some scam, I think it's also their fault for giving me the go ahead. I was trying to avoid this situation and repeatedly made sure it was okay to cash. The bank tells me that I had to pay all $5,000 within 24 hrs or I would go to jail. I was unable to pay them within 24 hrs but I had $1,000 in the bank they took out. I went to the bank to try and figure out a payment plan but they contacted the local police who then took me to jail. I spent 16 days in Jail for a crime I didn't commit. Yes, I was stupid enough to fall for a scam but the bank made me believe the check was real and everything was good. The cops charged me with making a counterfeit check. I had to drop my classes at the college and set up a payment plan with the courts to pay back my debt. After about a year, I finished paying that off. After I cleared my debt (I had good credit before that from previous loans and I was banking with that bank for 5 yrs) I tried to continue banking with them but they dropped me. I was unable to bank with them anymore. I also lost financial aid privileges from my school and I was unable to take out any student loans to go back to college. This incident set me back a lot and I've been broke since then. I am 25 yrs old now and haven't returned back to school because I need financial aid or loans to help pay. I can't get any of those and the worse part is, I haven't had a bank account since I was 19. I've applied at every bank imaginable and I no longer have any debts but I've been denied at every bank. I've even moved to Florida and California for awhile and was unable to start a bank account there. I've gone to so many banks and have been denied at each one of them. I even offered to deposit $1,000 into a bank just to get an account and was still denied. I don't need a checking account either. I just need somewhere to keep my money. All I want is a savings account.Every check I get from any job, I have to trust a friend or family member to cash it for me. I just have to sign the back of the check. But if no one is available then I can't cash it. Not even at a store. I get denied at stores too for some unexplained reason. And I always have to carry cash. I've lost a lot of money in the past by carrying cash. Please, does anyone know what i can do to get a bank account? I have no debt and I feel like I didn't do anything wrong. Plus I feel like I'm not going anywhere in life because I need a bank account to get a student loan. I just have so much unnecessary stress. Please give me ideas. Thanks.
It sounds like you have an enourmous problem on your hands, and not by any fault of your own. Legitimately, what you did was a little bit stupid, but I think that it is criminal to put someone your age in that sort of posistion. I think that you should, at the very least, recieve enough money to cover the tuition costs that you would have spent over the last few years, as well s clearing up your credit. I'm not sure what your stance has been so far, but it seems like you have not been entirely asertive. Bottom line, you got fucked, and both your bank and Western Union are to blame.
Try a credit union. Most of them are member owned. They usually take anyone. I had a bad bank record and was able to open a savings account for direct deposit.
first off, whenever you get any type of notice that "your a winner" check with the federal trade commission, better business bureau and, your state attorney generals office, on anything that sounds good. second, after you get the money from your pay cheque. go and buy gift debit cards, that have the mastercard and/or visa logo on them. i use them all the time. i use them to buy stuff over the telephone and/or web all the time. that way i don't have to use my credit card or, my main atm/ cheque card from my bank and credit union (yes, i use both types of insituitions.) with several gift debit cards, you don't have to fear about losing all your money. also, buy a small safe with a lock to keep your cards and pin numbers in. i bought one at target (a discount chain store in the u.s.a.) for about $ 30.00 (u.s.a. funds.) MAKE SURE USE THE DEBIT GIFT CARDS BEFORE THEIR EXPERATION DATE! for the cards i use that is 6 months however, that may be different with with other cards... CHECK THAT OUT! third, as indydude said above, try a credit union. a lot of them will accept almost anyone. if you think you need a bank. CHECK THOSE MOTHERS OUT TO NO END! if anything, we all should have learn over the last year, is this... there are one hell of a lot of banks out there that are corrupt as all fuck! it sounds like you belong to one of those corrupt banks and, due to your youth and inexpernce they exploited (fucked you over) really, really, really good! forth, at your age, you need to learn how to take care of yourself money wise RIGHT NOW! i advise you in the strongest terms possible that, you take a subscription to 'consumer reports' magazine; both the print and online versions. next take a subscription to the online version of their 'money adviser newsletter.' that will cost about $ 80.00 a year (u.s.a. funds.) all of us who did this early in life are flying high now! consumer union has proven during the great depression of 1929-1945 and, now again their information works; whereas, wall street repeated boom and bust. lovekush, please do what i am suggesting for your own welfare! and that goes for all you younger members of hip forums too! lastly, lovekush i am so deeply sorry that, you had to learn this life lession the hard way. i have my own life lession i learned the hard way too about money. i think, i'm going to post my story in the whiners sub-forum here at hip forums. i'm going to entitled it 'my mother is a shit-ass!' i think you all find it both enlighting and scary too.
A credit union is where the problems started. I've tried other credit unions too and doesn't work out for me.
in your op you said it was a bank. banks and credit unions are not the same thing. give this a try. go to this website www.netspend.com netspend is part of international bank. they issue the 'all-access visa debit card.' go to their website, and find out were in your area you can go and buy a card (they cost something like $ 30.00.) you will get a temporary card with your introductry package. you will need to regester the card either over the internet or their 1-800 telephone number. in about three (3) weeks you will get your perment card. with your perment card, they will offer LIMITED banking services. you can get electronic deposit, so you can deposit your paycheque to your card. you won't get a bank account, chequing account, loans or, line of credit. your money is safe though. your debit card account, is insured up to $ 100,000 by the FDIC. you can check your blance on your card 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. this is a program for people with fuck up credit, it is design for those who can't open a bank account... USE IT WISELY! this is a chance to re-build your credit rating and in a few years be able to open a banking account, with full services. DON'T FUCK IT UP! to make sure you don't fuck it up again, read the user guide (it is boring shit, READ IT NONE THE LESS!) if you have any questions at all no matter how small contact netspend and ask about them! i have used the netspend card for years with no problems whatsoever. now, go and do what i posted in my earler post, and do a background check on international bank and netspend corporation.
