Are you missing a $15,000 payment from CRB FREEDOM?

[Bammerman]

Yesterday morning I checked my credit union checking account and had quite a surprise: the balance was almost $15,000 higher than it should have been! Talk about a nice surprise! Until, that is, I had time to think for a moment and to remember that I don't have any rich uncles or aunts who've died recently (no rich uncles or aunts at all, in fact). No, unfortunately, that can't be my $15,000! Bummer. I called the credit union and they're checking into it. The deposit was from something called "CRB FREEDOM" -- whatever that is, it's nothing I've ever had anything to do with.

So, if you were expecting a deposit of something under $15,000 from CRB FREEDOM and it hasn't shown up yet, maybe you'd better give them a call!

[regularguy455]

Stab in the dark, but sounds like it could have been a balance transfer from a Chase Freedom account?

[CAsage]

Whatever you do, don't "refund" the money to anyone via Green Dot or cash cards or gift cards.... No matter who calls with what story! Except for the interesting detail that you don't know where the money came from... it sounds like a scam, one of the "here's a bigger check than you expected just send us back the difference". Hope your CU sorts it out correctly.

[MotoTrojan]

Whatever you do, don't "refund" the money to anyone via Green Dot or cash cards or gift cards.... No matter who calls with what story! Except for the interesting detail that you don't know where the money came from... it sounds like a scam, one of the "here's a bigger check than you expected just send us back the difference". Hope your CU sorts it out correctly.

This. These scams will leave you as the one missing $15K.

[bryanm]

My guess is that it's an error. I've never met a scammer willing to put up $15k in "real" money (I'm assuming it is real in the sense that your bank would let you withdraw it if you asked) to a mark. But maybe I'm the sucker born today.

In any event, seems best to let it sit while your bank does the digging and figures out whats up.

[panine]

Stab in the dark, but sounds like it could have been a balance transfer from a Chase Freedom account?

This. Did you have a CD with Chase that was set to be transferred to your savings at maturity or something?

[Horsefly]

A quick Google indicates there is a "CRB Lending" in Canada (Ontario).

https://crblending.com/about/

[SimonJester]

My guess is that it's an error. I've never met a scammer willing to put up $15k in "real" money (I'm assuming it is real in the sense that your bank would let you withdraw it if you asked) to a mark. But maybe I'm the sucker born today.

In any event, seems best to let it sit while your bank does the digging and figures out whats up.

Usually its not real money, and eventually your bank will take back what you removed leaving you with a negative balance. The scammer either sends a fake money order, fake check, fake / fraudulent transaction ACH...

[bryanm]

My guess is that it's an error. I've never met a scammer willing to put up $15k in "real" money (I'm assuming it is real in the sense that your bank would let you withdraw it if you asked) to a mark. But maybe I'm the sucker born today.

In any event, seems best to let it sit while your bank does the digging and figures out whats up.

Usually its not real money, and eventually your bank will take back what you removed leaving you with a negative balance. The scammer either sends a fake money order, fake check, fake / fraudulent transaction ACH...

This gets to the heart of what I don't understand if this is a scam. I've seen scams for fake money orders/checks/etc--the scammer sends you the fake instrument and asks for "cash back" immediately. The check/money order doesn't clear, and you're out the cash back. That doesn't seem to be the case here, as OP didn't attempt any deposit. I've also seen fraudulent ACH transactions, where the scammer uses knowledge of your account/routing number to fraudulently withdraw funds. But here, funds were deposited, not withdrawn. If the scammer knew the account/routing number, they could have just taken then money out, no need to make a deposit. Am I missing something?

[Workinprogress]

It will be interesting to see the outcome. Even if it is just a clerical error. I love this sort of whodunit. Thanks for sharing.

[SoonerD]

Posting to follow.

if there is a way to mark a thread to follow it without posting please let me know.

[neilpilot]

Posting to follow.

if there is a way to mark a thread to follow it without posting please let me know.

You can "subscribe to topic" at the top of a thread. Use the wrench symbol to the right of "post reply"

[Workinprogress]

Posting to follow.

if there is a way to mark a thread to follow it without posting please let me know.

Look directly below this post and see a wrench.

Click on the wrench and I think four choices show up.

Click the subscribe to remove the check, and you are following. (Kind of counter intuitive to un-check)

[Stinky]

I had a somewhat similar situation earlier this year, with a $53 tax refund. When I told my bank about it, they freaked out and basically told me that I needed to get a new account.

Hopefully your credit union is more rational than my bank.

Thread link below:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=272905&p=4400365&hi ... d#p4400365

[CAsage]

I would guess that somebody took out a loan, and messed up the routing info. Like tax returns, all those long numbers have to entered by hand, and some will trace that soon and come for it!

[Stinky]

Yesterday morning I checked my credit union checking account and had quite a surprise: the balance was almost $15,000 higher than it should have been! Talk about a nice surprise! Until, that is, I had time to think for a moment and to remember that I don't have any rich uncles or aunts who've died recently (no rich uncles or aunts at all, in fact). No, unfortunately, that can't be my $15,000! Bummer. I called the credit union and they're checking into it. The deposit was from something called "CRB FREEDOM" -- whatever that is, it's nothing I've ever had anything to do with.

So, if you were expecting a deposit of something under $15,000 from CRB FREEDOM and it hasn't shown up yet, maybe you'd better give them a call!

Let us know how this turns out.

[Bammerman]

As of May 25 the money is still there, but I noticed that it's not "available" to me (to spend). Presumably the credit union has put some kind of hold on it. I think I'll write them and ask for a status update.

[Broken Man 1999]

Maybe you will receive a little bit of interest on the funds!

Broken Man 1999

[Bammerman]

I asked about that, but with interest rates these days it's not worth fiddling with.

But: in 1983 I moved to France and bought a car there (a new Peugeot) with an $8,000 check in francs from a local bank account. After a week or so and the car dealership hadn't yet cashed the check, I had the bank move the $8,000 to an interest-bearing account with overdraft into the checking account if needed. After the third or fourth week and still no cashed check, I began to wonder if I should call the dealership and inquire... but decided it was not my affair if that's how they wanted to run their business. Well, believe it or not, it was SIX MONTHS before they presented that check for payment!!!!! That's half a year of 1983-era interest rates I earned on that $8,000. Don't ask me how the Peugeot dealership managed to stay afloat if that's how they ran the business!

[3504PIR]

It’s kind of creepy. I’d close the account ASAP and open a new one at the same time, kind of like getting a new credit card number/account when it’s been corrupted. Someone potentially knows your name and account number and maybe more.

[neilpilot]

It’s kind of creepy. I’d close the account ASAP and open a new one at the same time, kind of like getting a new credit card number/account when it’s been corrupted. Someone potentially knows your name and account number and maybe more.

Everyone you send a check to knows your name and account number, and likely more (address, phone #, etc).

[spectec]

Here's a strong possibility. Cross River Bank - "Freedom" loan. It came up at the top of a Google search. Looks like a high-interest loan offering.

It could be someone who applied for a loan with them and somebody got the account number wrong (or an identical account number with an incorrect bank routing number). Or else someone is attempting to apply for a loan in your name and then pull the money out of your account.

Personally, I'd probably contact both Cross River Bank & Freedom Financial and ask them about this rather than waiting for the Credit Union to sort it out. If this is the answer, your Credit Union would like to know, I'm sure. You might want to also take a look at your credit report if you haven't done so already.

https://www.freedomplus.com/?utm_medium ... omplus.com

[Bammerman]

Just to close the loop: the credit union took out the mistaken deposit today, finally. They called me day before yesterday and said the money had been intended for another credit union member whose account number was one digit different from mine. They asked me to send them a signed letter stating that the money wasn't mine/wasn't intended for me, so that they could correct the mistaken deposit. Otherwise, they said, it would turn into a long, drawn-out matter requiring the true recipient to file some kind of claim with the sending institution. It was a little hard for me to kiss that money goodbye, but I sent the letter. Boo hoo, waahhhh! Oh, well. Maybe this will be good for my karma.

[Broken Man 1999]

Well, did you at least pick up a little bit of interest?

Broken Man 1999

[bryanm]

Thanks for keeping up updated!

Now don't go trying to ACH from accounts that are very similar to yours...

[whodidntante]

Just to close the loop: the credit union took out the mistaken deposit today, finally. They called me day before yesterday and said the money had been intended for another credit union member whose account number was one digit different from mine. They asked me to send them a signed letter stating that the money wasn't mine/wasn't intended for me, so that they could correct the mistaken deposit. Otherwise, they said, it would turn into a long, drawn-out matter requiring the true recipient to file some kind of claim with the sending institution. It was a little hard for me to kiss that money goodbye, but I sent the letter. Boo hoo, waahhhh! Oh, well. Maybe this will be good for my karma.

Sending that letter was very nice of you. Very very nice. Above and beyond nice.

[Bammerman]

Sending that letter was very nice of you. Very very nice. Above and beyond nice.

I don't see it that way -- just as basic golden rule stuff. I had nothing to gain by not sending the letter, and by sending it, the proper recipient got his/her money quite a bit sooner.

No, I didn't make any interest -- except maybe karmic interest!

[Broken Man 1999]

Sending that letter was very nice of you. Very very nice. Above and beyond nice.

I don't see it that way -- just as basic golden rule stuff. I had nothing to gain by not sending the letter, and by sending it, the proper recipient got his/her money quite a bit sooner.

No, I didn't make any interest -- except maybe karmic interest!

Hah! That is the best kind, not taxes at all.

The golden rule is a good one. Costs nothing to use. Might generate good things.

Broken Man 1999

[seity]

Reminds me of a time I had an account with $200k show up in one of my banks. It was a new account and happened to show up on my birthday. I didn't have to do anything because it was gone the next day. I'm sure they just tagged it to the wrong user account, but wow that was a surprise to see. I could have paid off all my debts including my mortgage and helped out a friend of mine trying to get by on SSDI with that kind of money!!!