In The Age Of Poe

Kinda in reverse, maybe? Reality can get so perverse that sometimes when something real happens, it sounds like it came straight outa The Onion's evil twin.

Detroit Free Press:

Sauntore Thomas is reeling from a one-two punch.

First, the Detroiter sued his employer alleging racial discrimination in a lawsuit that settled confidentially. Then he went to the bank this week to cash his settlement check, but the Livonia bank refused to cash or deposit his check. Instead, they called the cops and initiated a fraud investigation — actions that dumbfounded Thomas and his lawyer, triggering another lawsuit.

On Wednesday, Thomas sued TCF Bank for alleged race discrimination, saying the Livonia branch mistreated and humiliated him by calling four police officers when all he was trying to do was deposit legitimate checks. According to police, the bank's computer system read the checks as fraudulent.

TCF Bank spokesman Tom Wennerberg said Thursday that TCF abhors racism and it was not a factor in how the bank handled Thomas' requests. He said the checks Thomas presented displayed a watermark that read VOID when they were scanned in a web viewer.

Thomas isn't buying it, noting the check cleared 12 hours later. He's upset that two officers questioned him inside the bank, while two others stood guard outside, he said, adding he was an account holder for nearly two years at that TCF branch.

It's not quite completely cut-n-dried - the folks at TCF kinda have a point, partly because of mere circumstance - Sauntore had a whopping 52¢ in his account at the time. And partly because he "made some unusual requests".

ie: he asked to cash one of the checks ($13K- while depositing 2 others totaling $86K), and he asked for a new debit card.

Granted, some of this is a bit red-flaggy, but c'mon, all you have to do is make a coupla phone calls. But that doesn't even factor in when you're going to put a hold on the money til the checks clear anyway.

Normal protocols apply. You tell him you can't cash him out for thirteen large, but you tell him he can go to the bank that issued the check.

And that's the kicker. Not more than a few hours later, Sauntore took his checks to a Chase branch (which didn't issue the checks), and sailed the whole thing right on through.

And BTW - you're not the fuckin' cops. Turn in your little decoder ring and stop playing Junior Treasury Agent. 

Instead of a good customer, now you've got an expensive lawsuit on your hands.