AboutAlexander J. Hay Expertise I am a U.S. lawyer with offices in Houston, Texas and in Belize. I can answer questions on U.S. Immigration, U.S. corporate law, and Offshore Tax and Asset Planning.
Experience I am a U.S. attorney with offices in the United States and Belize. I have experience helping to protect assets, reduce taxes, and improve investment performance by utilizing global investment techniques.
Education/Credentials Harvard University, A.B. degree; University of Houston Law Center, J.D. Degree; Fulbright Scholar
Question Quite stupidly I fell for a scam. The scammer fedexed me a check, offering me a commission, if I wired some of it to an account of some person in Illinois. It was a large check for just under 75K. I endeavored to do the wire 1 day after depositing the check. The bank refused to do the wire telling me that the check hadn't gone through, and that the wire needed authorization. It turns out that the check has bounced (no suprise), but my account is reading a negative balance for the amount of the check, and the bank has frozen my personal account. My bank manager refuses to talk to me, except to say that the bank thinks I was involved in passing a fraudulent check. I have tried to call the bank's fraud section, and they won't speak to me, telling me to call the Bank Manager. The bank hasn't sent me an email, a letter, made a phone call to me to discuss this matter. I have absolutely no idea what to do at this point. I need advise.
Answer From what you said above, it would seem that you deposited a check but was allowed to wire the funds out. Quite lucky for you. Then why are you in the red? If you deposited $75,000.00 and the check bounced, and you didn't spend the money, then you should be just fine. But if you spent the money, then you have a real problem.
Now as to the frozen account, the bank is going to investigate you to see if you are an innocent party, or part of the scam. Most likely the bank will close your account regardless of what you do since even if you are an innocent victim, you are also a person who is a high risk client. Unfortunately most people who fall for this scam once, eventually fall for some other scam (but hopefully not the same one!).
I wish you the best, but I suspect you are just going to have to sit back and wait. I would go and set up another account somewhere else in case you get black listed due to this. At least then you will have an open account elsewhere.
