Where is it?

Early yesterday morning I received two missed calls on my mobile.  The second no looked familiar.  I then realized the Bank tried to call. Twice.  Normally a call at this odd hour means you have a cheque to cover.  I then tried frantically to return the call but to no avail.  I only managed to get through at 9.45am.

I was told that I have issued a RM3500.00 cheque out from this particular account but there was no funds available.  I need to cover the it by 10.00am less it will be returned.  The penalty as we all know is a RM100.00 fine and you could be blacklisted by the Central Bank if it happens on two more occasions.

I wondered how could I have drawn the cheque.  I only issue cheques from this particular account to my other account.  How could I have made such a blunder. I checked.  No cheques were banked into that account.  No returned cheques. Time was running out.  I just need to cover it first.  Luckily I was still home.  So I made my way to the Bank.

At the back of my mind, I still have some unanswered questions.  But I need to cover the cheque first because the time is up.  I checked a few details to get some clue as to what happened.  The answers were not forthcoming.  Based on my mode of operation, I decided to let the case rest because I was pretty sure that I must have banked it into my account as I have always done.  I must have mistaken that I had that amount in the account.

Today I came home early.  I decided to check my bank account.  I realized that there was no RM3500.00 banked into it.  So the cheque was issued to someone else.  There was nothing written on the cheque butt.  My bills have been accounted for and paid out correctly.  So it was not possible for me to inadvertently issue this  cheque out for bill payments.  I felt a little uneasy.

I called the Bank again.  They do not have the cheque image.  They would have to request from the HQ.  I had no choice.  That will be RM10.00.

I am wondering where the RM3500.00 went.  Maybe I should have just stopped the payment yesterday because I actually do not recall issuing out that cheque. 

I will have to wait for tomorrow to know the outcome.  It is a lot of money to lose if indeed it is fraud.  If it is, I can kiss my money good bye.  It is not going to be easy to get it back.

One lesson to learn is to always write the details on the cheque butt.  Always. Even if you are in a hurry or have no time.  I have this bad habit of not writing it when I am in a hurry.  In this case, I did not write it because I only issue cheques out to myself from this account.

RM3500.00 is a lot of money to lose.  What more in a manner like this.