BankThink

Fraud Scheme Relied on Bank Loophole — and Fast Food

Is a Big Mac worth the big trouble of being arrested for bank fraud?

Ninety-four people are accused of committing as much as $1 million in fraud on TD Bank, though individually they received just a few hundred dollars and some McDonald's food, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The suspects are accused of exploiting a loophole that allowed them to withdraw funds from a freshly opened savings account before those funds had cleared, the article said. The scam took place from Aug. 2009 to May 2011, the article said.

After the funds were moved out of the savings account, they were withdrawn from automated teller machines in Western Union branches and in casinos. Such locations were targeted because they allow higher withdrawal limits than typical ATMs, the article said.

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