Received Bank Cheque from major bank by mistake ???

vegemite2008 on 02/09/2025 - 16:56
Last edited 02/09/2025 - 17:39

I had a credit card with one of the major banks 6 months ago. I cancelled the card. After I cancelled the card I received a refund from one of the merchants.

It was only $70.

I had already cancelled the card so the cancelled account had $70 sitting in it.

I called the bank and they said they will post a cheque. Great, I received the cheque after 4 weeks. I deposited it to my bank account.

I received another bank cheque (same amount) 4 weeks later. I thought the other cheque has bounced (did it via bank app) and deposited the second cheque.

Today I received another cheque (same amount). I did a search online and the 2 previous cheques had cleared successfully.

I love receiving cheques but….

What would be the easiest way to resolve this?

I don't want to spend lots of time sorting this out.

Thanks.

Financial Cheques

Comments

  • elgrande on 02/09/2025 - 17:02
    +56

    Congrats, you now have an official passive income.

  • altomic on 02/09/2025 - 17:02
    +7

    Just put them In a draw. And see how many you collect

    • c64 on 02/09/2025 - 17:05
      +8

      wouldn't it be better to see how many you could collect in your account rather than in a drawer?

  • KangaDrew on 02/09/2025 - 17:14
    +12

    If you keep receiving them, deposit them all into a dedicated savings account that you don't touch. Let the account continue to accrue interest until they contact you, ultimately making them pay for their own mistake. Easy money!

  • brendanm on 02/09/2025 - 17:18

    Keep putting them in your account. It's either free money, or free interest.

  • 30year old Camry on 02/09/2025 - 17:18
    +13

    This should be posted as a Deal

  • 30year old Camry on 02/09/2025 - 17:19
    +7

    Are you depositing the cheques into the cancelled cards account?

    • vegemite2008 on 02/09/2025 - 17:26
      +1

      No

    • GordonD on 02/09/2025 - 18:39

      cheques

      I'm surprised there are still cheques. Haven't seen one in a very long time.

      • vegemite2008 on 02/09/2025 - 22:41
        +1

        I was very happy to find out that I can actually deposit cheques using my bank app.

        • dcep on 03/09/2025 - 03:43

          Wow ! Didn't know that cheques have gone digital.

      • wetsandwich on 03/09/2025 - 11:45

        They will be completely phased out in a few years, but yes, for some reason they do still exist.

  • vegemite2008 on 02/09/2025 - 17:28
    +1

    I will deposit the money into a savings account and wait for them to get in touch with me.

    It might even be the case that the 3rd cheque will be the last.

  • GordonD on 02/09/2025 - 18:36
    +3

    I once had this "problem" with the taxation department. With them having the power to be very nasty to someone who accepts money from them they're not entitled to, I thought it prudent to take it back in person. It turned out they thought it was easier for them if I quietly accepted it, and didn't embarrass whoever was responsible by pointing out their mistake. That way they wouldn't have to figure out who the money actually belonged to. In the end I wrote them a letter that put it on record that they could have it back if they ever realised it was sent in error. Never did.

  • tenpercent on 02/09/2025 - 20:38
    +4

    What would be the easiest way to resolve this?

    Bank error in your favour, collect $70 every month for the rest of your life. Congrats!
    And shhh! 🤫

    • cuteseal on 03/09/2025 - 10:08
      -1

      Also: go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

    • FezMonkey on 04/09/2025 - 09:03

      We always joked that that card would never happen in real life. I guess it does sometimes!

  • Craze on 02/09/2025 - 20:54

    I could be wrong but sounds like an automated process gone wrong?

  • AustriaBargain on 02/09/2025 - 21:29
    +1

    I wouldn't overthink $70. Just keep depositing any cheques and let the banks sort it out between themselves.

    • Far Cough on 02/09/2025 - 23:07
      -1

      literally this

  • MS Paint on 02/09/2025 - 22:00

    Which bank still uses cheques?

    • Far Cough on 02/09/2025 - 23:07

      ask OP

    • vegemite2008 on 03/09/2025 - 00:29
      +2

      The big cheque shutdown is 2030.

      Transaction accounts with major banks like CBA, Westpac, ANZ, and NAB generally offer cheque books as an option

      • AustriaBargain on 03/09/2025 - 00:33
        +2

        Soon kids will never know the pleasure of writing a cheque like a hotshot in a Hollywood movie themselves.

        • dcep on 03/09/2025 - 03:46
          +6

          They might not catch the drift on quoting "Your Ego Is Writing Checks Your Body Can't Cash"

          • Nalar on 03/09/2025 - 08:33
            +4

            @dcep: "Your ego is afterpaying goods and services your body can't pay off in 4 payments"

            Hasn't got the same ring to it.

        • wetsandwich on 03/09/2025 - 11:46

          Is that what the grandma at Coles is thinking she is doing, when writing out a $123.40 cheque for groceries and cigarettes? The absolute bane of my existence when I used to work there and one of them would roll in during rush hour and you know the transaction is going to take about 25 minutes.

          • tenpercent on 03/09/2025 - 19:09

            @wetsandwich: Why did you care if other customers have to wait? I can understand you being frustrated if you were one of the customers in the queue. It sounds like you were too personally invested as an employee. I hope you're stressing less with whatever you do now.

            • smartazz104 on 04/09/2025 - 07:25

              @tenpercent: Who do you think the short-tempered people would take out their frustration on?

        • wetsandwich on 03/09/2025 - 11:48

          A cheque is basically a direct debit, so the money won't go anywhere if a cheque isn't banked or can no longer be accepted. I would assume everyone who still has an account that uses them will get multiple notifications and that new books wouldn't be issued after a certain date. Hell, everyone knows now, so surely a 5 year away deadline won't exactly creep up on them.

    • 2esc on 03/09/2025 - 08:51

      Pretty much all still have that capacity. They just prefer not to.

  • Sunshines bright on 03/09/2025 - 07:26

    I had a check in the past and my bank would not accept it. Went to all local banks around me and none accepted checks anymore.

    • drewbytes on 03/09/2025 - 08:00
      +1

      It's only international cheques that Australian banks no longer accept.

    • wetsandwich on 03/09/2025 - 11:50

      Er, they definitely do, as most large companies still do dividend payments via cheques and they are issued by all the large banks. You can also deposit them via Aus Post.

    • tenpercent on 03/09/2025 - 19:12
      +1

      my bank would not accept it. Went to all local banks around me and none accepted

      At least two of the big 4 accept cheques deposited via their ATMs.

      Ah. I see what your issue was…

      I had a check

      We have cheques in Australia. You probably had some American piece of paper 'check'.

  • try2bhelpful on 03/09/2025 - 08:07

    Technically if the cheque is being sent to you in error, and you keep the money, it is fraud. People have been prosecuted in the past for withdrawing money that was sent to them by mistake. In this case I would contact them and say you keep getting sent cheques. I suspect they will stop the cheques and leave you the money you’ve received so far.

  • Benno007 on 03/09/2025 - 08:14

    I got $48 back from NAB 8 months after closing my account. I got a letter saying they were trying to refund me and I had to go online and fill out a form. I the end it was all legit but very random.

  • BigTed on 03/09/2025 - 11:03
    +1

    Bank the cheques.
    Do not spend the money.
    Notify the bank.
    See what happens.

  • hasher22 on 03/09/2025 - 11:06

    And I thought I was lucky for Optus mobile insurance refunding me $1.76 due to premium miscalculation over 1 year.

  • Megatron on 03/09/2025 - 17:33

    You ever tried your luck on lotto?

    • vengeance88 on 04/09/2025 - 08:18

      Pretty sure OP has been polishing an old lamp and still has 2 wishes remaining.

  • Muppet Detector on 03/09/2025 - 19:11
    -1

    Unfortunately, this falls under the Finder's Keepers Rules.

    Keeping the money is deemed theft by finding.
    Banking it or changing the nature of it is interpreted as you taking steps to secure possession of the money. Further proof of theft as it is inferred that you intended to permanently deprive the true owner of the thing.

    When a person finds an item, they are obligated to take reasonable steps to identify the true owner, notify him about his lost goods and make arrangements for the goods to be returned to the true owner.

    In your case, no effort is required to identify the true owner, you already know that.

    Next step is to notify them and arrange for them to reclaim possession of their money.

    By withholding the money from the true owner, you are stealing.

    Your responsibilities are no different to if you found a wallet in the street and needed to hand it in/find true owner.

    The idiocy in this scenario is that there is a direct link to the thief for the bank and police to pursue.

  • Rokit3 on 05/09/2025 - 08:07
    +1

    I received recently cheque from bank for owed interest from.over 7yrs ago.. wasn't mych n luckily adter 7yrs dont need to declare it to taxation.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join