eChecks and bank transfers

[yhelothar]

So if you ever gave anyone a check or have received one, you have their bankaccount and routing number. What's to stop someone from signing up to steamy websites or paying their credit card card off with it?

 

[KB]

Or transferring your money into their internet banking account?

Really nothing but honesty and a risk of jail time. My parents had $120 taken from their banking account in this way. They paid for meds using a check. The person behind the counter copied their routing information then created eChecks (can't remember the website) and paid off her cable bill and telephone bill. They ended up getting their money back from the bank after a week or two and the women, as far as I know, was never prosecuted. The amount taken was too small for the effort to take her to court. Hopefully she got fired at least.

 

[Bignate603]

They ended up getting their money back from the bank after a week or two and the women, as far as I know, was never prosecuted. The amount taken was too small for the effort to take her to court. Hopefully she got fired at least.

I really hate it when they just let things like that slide. I understand why, the cost of prosecuting would be too high, but morally it's just wrong to let a thief go like that. Also, if the person did get fired there's nothing on their criminal record that says they're a thief. Future employers would have no idea that the person had a history of robbing from their customers.

A slap on the wrist or a stern scolding just encourages them to do it again because they didn't really get punished.