Bank returns woman's $300K

Gutierrez gets involved in case of woman, 86, who was ripped off by teller.

Via Sun-Times,
144 Reads | | Post a commentPublished June 25, 2008 - 1:50 PM

Hyde Park, Chicago, Ill. —

By early Tuesday, news of 86-year-old Jessie McDonald's fight to get her money back from Chase Bank had reached Washington.

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) was just signing a formal request to the bank asking why, after acknowledging nearly a year ago that a teller had scammed McDonald out of $300,000, the bank still hadn't given her back her money.

Then, the Chicago Democrat got the news: Chase Bank had agreed to repay McDonald $301,494.41 -- the amount her attorneys believe was removed from her savings accounts at the bank's downtown branch.

Gutierrez said he still plans to press the bank about why it didn't return the money sooner and what can be done to protect customers.

"I'm very happy,'' Gutierrez said. "But how did this happen? This is an 86-year-old woman. It begs the question: What were you waiting for? For her to disappear?"