International Wire Fraud via online banking account

[illinoswirefraud]

What is the name of your state? Illinois
3 weeks ago when logged into my online banking site, within seconds my screen showed my account balance increased from $50 to $50,000, then back to $50. I immediately logged out of the site and called my bank's fraud line to alert them that something had happened on my account. I was told by the bank that my account would immediately be frozen.
When I went into my branch when the reopened the next morning, my banker told me that a hacker had apparently gotten into my computer and performed an international wire transfer directly to China. I have subsequently filed police and FBI reports.
I had a joint checking account at this bank with my elderly father and his bank statement notes a "forced check pc transfer" for $50,000 debiting his account. The bank apparently also put a hold on his checking account too and I have also now removed my name from his account to try to protect him. He and I were unfortunately never notified by the bank that his account was also now on hold. He thus for the first time in his life has late payment fees from his utilities due to late payments.
I am being told by my banker that the bank is viewing this as a transaction that one that I initiated and he/I will thus not be getting the $50,000 back. We are being told that the money is no longer in the China bank.
I nor my father have never performed a wire transfer before. I see documentation that the "account transfer limits for sending money to other people are generally" $750 via zelle within minutes, $1000 via standard deliver 1-3 days. The banker and fraud department both really now will not tellme anything more than it looks like the money is not going to be returned. Any other options before hiring an attorney and how do I find the right one in cook county?

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? Illinois
3 weeks ago when logged into my online banking site, within seconds my screen showed my account balance increased from $50 to $50,000, then back to $50. I immediately logged out of the site and called my bank's fraud line to alert them that something had happened on my account. I was told by the bank that my account would immediately be frozen.
When I went into my branch when the reopened the next morning, my banker told me that a hacker had apparently gotten into my computer and performed an international wire transfer directly to China. I have subsequently filed police and FBI reports.
I had a joint checking account at this bank with my elderly father and his bank statement notes a "forced check pc transfer" for $50,000 debiting his account. The bank apparently also put a hold on his checking account too and I have also now removed my name from his account to try to protect him. He and I were unfortunately never notified by the bank that his account was also now on hold. He thus for the first time in his life has late payment fees from his utilities due to late payments.
I am being told by my banker that the bank is viewing this as a transaction that one that I initiated and he/I will thus not be getting the $50,000 back. We are being told that the money is no longer in the China bank.
I nor my father have never performed a wire transfer before. I see documentation that the "account transfer limits for sending money to other people are generally" $750 via zelle within minutes, $1000 via standard deliver 1-3 days. The banker and fraud department both really now will not tellme anything more than it looks like the money is not going to be returned. Any other options before hiring an attorney and how do I find the right one in cook county?

I think it's time to get an attorney, now. If I understand you correctly your father needs the attorney almost more than you do, since the bank has apparently taken his money.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? Illinois
3 weeks ago when logged into my online banking site, within seconds my screen showed my account balance increased from $50 to $50,000, then back to $50. I immediately logged out of the site and called my bank's fraud line to alert them that something had happened on my account. I was told by the bank that my account would immediately be frozen.
When I went into my branch when the reopened the next morning, my banker told me that a hacker had apparently gotten into my computer and performed an international wire transfer directly to China. I have subsequently filed police and FBI reports.
I had a joint checking account at this bank with my elderly father and his bank statement notes a "forced check pc transfer" for $50,000 debiting his account. The bank apparently also put a hold on his checking account too and I have also now removed my name from his account to try to protect him. He and I were unfortunately never notified by the bank that his account was also now on hold. He thus for the first time in his life has late payment fees from his utilities due to late payments.
I am being told by my banker that the bank is viewing this as a transaction that one that I initiated and he/I will thus not be getting the $50,000 back. We are being told that the money is no longer in the China bank.
I nor my father have never performed a wire transfer before. I see documentation that the "account transfer limits for sending money to other people are generally" $750 via zelle within minutes, $1000 via standard deliver 1-3 days. The banker and fraud department both really now will not tellme anything more than it looks like the money is not going to be returned. Any other options before hiring an attorney and how do I find the right one in cook county?

Was there actually $50,000 in either of the accounts prior to the wire transfer?

 

[illinoswirefraud]

Yes, there was actually $50,000 in my father and my joint account. The international wire transfer was hacked from my individual account when I signed into the account online

 

[quincy]

Do you know anyone in China or do you know anyone who knows anyone in China?

Bank accounts are often frozen automatically when the bank notices unusual wire transfers to other countries or when the account holder informs the bank of unusual activity on their account.

Because you noticed a brief transfer of money into and then out of your account, it sounds as if $50,000 from your father’s account (your joint account) was transferred to your personal account before being transferred out of the account to a bank in China.

I think you need an attorney to determine what exactly is going on - but, with illegal wire transfers, you are not apt to see the $50,000 again.

I have friends whose accounts were frozen when they transferred money from their U.S. account to an account held by their family members overseas. It was a regular-occurring monthly wire transfer. Their account was frozen during a federal investigation into the transfers. It took close to two months before my friends were able to access the funds in their account again.

 

[THS Warrior]

What is the name of your state? Illinois
3 weeks ago when logged into my online banking site, within seconds my screen showed my account balance increased from $50 to $50,000, then back to $50. I immediately logged out of the site and called my bank's fraud line to alert them that something had happened on my account. I was told by the bank that my account would immediately be frozen.
When I went into my branch when the reopened the next morning, my banker told me that a hacker had apparently gotten into my computer and performed an international wire transfer directly to China. I have subsequently filed police and FBI reports.
I had a joint checking account at this bank with my elderly father and his bank statement notes a "forced check pc transfer" for $50,000 debiting his account. The bank apparently also put a hold on his checking account too and I have also now removed my name from his account to try to protect him. He and I were unfortunately never notified by the bank that his account was also now on hold. He thus for the first time in his life has late payment fees from his utilities due to late payments.
I am being told by my banker that the bank is viewing this as a transaction that one that I initiated and he/I will thus not be getting the $50,000 back. We are being told that the money is no longer in the China bank.
I nor my father have never performed a wire transfer before. I see documentation that the "account transfer limits for sending money to other people are generally" $750 via zelle within minutes, $1000 via standard deliver 1-3 days. The banker and fraud department both really now will not tellme anything more than it looks like the money is not going to be returned. Any other options before hiring an attorney and how do I find the right one in cook county?

Please allow me to respond immediately after posting your opening statements of the alleged problem; you first said: "3 weeks ago when logged into my online banking site, within seconds my screen showed my account balance increased from $50 to $50,000, then back to $50." Right?
Response: Unless I suddenly lost my ability to read plain English, all you had in your account was $50 when this problem started; right? Then suddenly you had $50,050; right? And then a few seconds later your account balance went from $50,050 back down to $50; right? So then where is the beef? Why do you think you should get to keep the mysterious $50,000?

Here is your next statement: "I immediately logged out of the site and called my bank's fraud line to alert them that something had happened on my account. I was told by the bank that my account would immediately be frozen." Nothing to see here. When you reported this apparent money laundering scheme your bank did exactly what your bank should have done: Froze you account.

Finally, having operated the money desk at a large international bank in Miami and having investigated scores of similar stories of money laundering, check kiting and many other tricks people use to steal money I noticed a glaring "tell" a few statements later in your recitation of the facts: Here is the tell: "I had a joint checking account at this bank with my elderly father and his bank statement notes a "forced check pc transfer" for $50,000 debiting his account." I do not want to jump to any early conclusion here but this is the reason BOTH accounts have been frozen.
P.S. Removing your name from your father's account was not helpful; in fact it makes you loot even more guilty--in the bank's eyes.

 

[LdiJ]

I interpreted the case differently than the last two posters. I interpreted it as the bank has somehow lost $50,000 in whatever happened to cause that fleeting increase in her bank account and they are holding her responsible for it. Since her name was on her father's account, they took the money back from her father's account. I may have it wrong, but it still reads that way to me.

 

[Zigner]

I interpreted the case differently than the last two posters. I interpreted it as the bank has somehow lost $50,000 in whatever happened to cause that fleeting increase in her bank account and they are holding her responsible for it. Since her name was on her father's account, they took the money back from her father's account. I may have it wrong, but it still reads that way to me.

I think what happened is that $50k was transferred from dad's account in to the OP's, then immediately wired overseas. If done quickly, it would appear as the OP explains. Funny thing is that it wouldn't just happen...the OP would need to refresh the screen.

 

[LdiJ]

I think what happened is that $50k was transferred from dad's account in to the OP's, then immediately wired overseas. If done quickly, it would appear as the OP explains. Funny thing is that it wouldn't just happen...the OP would need to refresh the screen.

When I am banking with my online account it refreshes automatically each time I do something. So that part doesn't seem off to me. I understand what you think happened, but it still doesn't read that way to me. You may be right.

 

[quincy]

I am afraid that the transfers sound suspiciously like the act of the account holder and not an unrelated hacker. A hacker would not take the extra step of moving funds from the joint account to the personal account.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Umm ... You didn't happen to be on the phone with someone from Microsoft processing a refund at the time, did you?

 

[quincy]

Umm ... You didn't happen to be on the phone with someone from Microsoft processing a refund at the time, did you?

Are you referring to the Microsoft scam from last year? That did not involve several transfers.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Are you referring to the Microsoft scam from last year? That did not involve several transfers.

There's one where they use remote control to help you process the refund and have you log into your account. It sounds like OP's fathers account was linked.

 

[quincy]

There's one where they use remote control to help you process the refund and have you log into your account. It sounds like OP's fathers account was linked.

But funds from the dad’s account (the joint account) appear to have been transferred to the personal account before being wired to an overseas account. There is, in other words, one account more than is usually involved in these scams.

 

[THS Warrior]

I interpreted the case differently than the last two posters. I interpreted it as the bank has somehow lost $50,000 in whatever happened to cause that fleeting increase in her bank account and they are holding her responsible for it. Since her name was on her father's account, they took the money back from her father's account. I may have it wrong, but it still reads that way to me.

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As I noted in my initial lengthy analysis and post above I was a commercial bank operations office in a large international bank in Miami. You can take it from me as Gospel that commercial banks in the United States do NOT "lose" $50,000. Ever.
We both agree that there was a $50,000 transfer from the fathers account to the OP's account; right? The bank did NOT do that unless one of the joint account holders said to do it. And I seriously doubt the father was the one who moved HIS money to the OPs account; why?
Because it is not yet Christmas.