Slightly disturbing encounter at bank today (Update: Luke let go)

RYK

I bank at a smaller, local bank in which I have a personal and business relationship. I have accounts and my SDBs at this location, which is conveniently located near my home. I personally know the long tenured tellers and the officers of this branch (and am coincidentally having dinner with my banker tomorrow evening).

Today, I dropped by the bank to deposit a check from Great Collections and to grab some coins from the SDB to sell at the show. As I customarily do, I deposited the check and then asked the teller to take me to the SDB. The teller was a newer one, a young man, who was very friendly and accommodating. As I was returning the box to the vault, he said to me that he saw that I was a coin collector. I did not immediately respond, but he then said that he googled "Great Collections" from my deposited check and that was how he knew. I was a little bit taken aback, but I played along and mostly downplayed it, we chatted about searching rolls and the like, and I left.

I tend not to be paranoid about stuff, but I also try to be discreet about my interest in coins among strangers. How would you feel about this? Would you mention anything to your banker at dinner tomorrow?

Justacommeman

<< <i>I bank at a smaller, local bank in which I have a personal and business relationship. I have accounts and my SDBs at this location, which is conveniently located near my home. I personally know the long tenured tellers and the officers of this branch (and am coincidentally having dinner with my banker tomorrow evening).

Today, I dropped by the bank to deposit a check from Great Collections and to grab some coins from the SDB to sell at the show. As I customarily do, I deposited the check and then asked the teller to take me to the SDB. The teller was a newer one, a young man, who was very friendly and accommodating. As I was returning the box to the vault, he said to me that he saw that I was a coin collector. I did not immediately respond, but he then said that he googled "Great Collections" from my deposited check and that was how he knew. I was a little bit taken aback, but I played along and mostly downplayed it, we chatted about searching rolls and the like, and I left.

I tend not to be paranoid about stuff, but I also try to be discreet about my interest in coins among strangers. How would you feel about this? Would you mention anything to your banker at dinner tomorrow? >>



1) Welcome back

2) Yes it would bug me

3) Yes I would tell your banker and I would let him pick up the check

MJ

Wabbit2313

How big was the check? That might have been the curiosity factor of the Google search.

LindeDad

The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank.

jdimmick

I would be a bit concerned , that's a little much him taking and referencing information on or about you from your check you are depositing. A little nosey , probably harmless, but noethless.

When I go to the bank, I always am a little nervous about going to the box, just really don't want people knowing what I have in there.

jim

rhedden

Yes, that exchange was inappropriate. The teller should not be snooping into your business. SDB items are not covered by insurance and the bank supposedly does not know what is in your box. Do mention it to your banker friend.

OldEastside

YES I would mention it

Steve

RYK

3) Yes I would tell your banker and I would let him pick up the check

He always does.

michiganboy

Sounds a little to worried to me, probably be more worried if he didn't work at a bank. Lots of people get into banking because they are interested in money and that doesn't always involve stealing yours.

Boosibri

It would bug me but I would pass it off as immaturity. If he had any ill intent he wouldn't have mentioned it. That said I would be 50/50 on mentioning it at dinner. Tough call, don't want to draw more attention to the matter unless it warrants it.

Welcome back. Loving the 42-O $5.

BustHalfBrian

That info should remain confidential, so let's just hope he doesn't go blabbing to any friends or co-workers.

He sounds nosey, which (since you say he's a kid) he should grow out of. Still, he should not have done what he did.

savoyspecial

As collectors we are a funny bunch.......To outsiders I am sure we seem a bit paranoid......A few posts above, one tagline reads: Promote the Hobby (kind of hard to do when we are sworn to secrecy about what it is that we collect)

keyman64

Prying into a customer's business and then telling that same customer that you did so would give me a very bad vibe. And od course the weirdo knows your address too. It would make me feel uncomfortable.

At my bank, no bank employees have to work with customers for access to the SDB. Access to the vault is via a hand reader and then access to the box is via key. I would bring it up, absolutely! If he is knew he needs to know not to pry into people's business! If he did it with you then he is likely to do it with others. Not a good situation.

cmerlo1

My guess is, the teller was young and naive in the ways of the world. This is a good opportunity for him to learn something.

CoinRaritiesOnline

<< <i>Would you mention anything to your banker at dinner tomorrow? >>



Yes. Employees who Google their customers' deposited check info need to be told by their supervisors that this is not appropriate conduct.

Coincidentally, I had a similarly annoying encounter at my own bank recently with a new teller who asked too many questions too loud for my liking.

dbcoin

maybe he was just doing his job to make sure the check wasn't going to bounce. If he googled it and it came back with tons of scams and forged checks, then he would have alerted the manager, no? I'd say the kid was being thorough.

Coin collectors are just too paranoid. Everybody isn't out to get you and society isn't going to go to heck in a hand basket tomorrow with coins being used for barter.

Timbuk3

Definitely not "cool" !!!

OldEastside

<< <i>As collectors we are a funny bunch.......To outsiders I am sure we seem a bit paranoid......A few posts above, one tagline reads: Promote the Hobby (kind of hard to do when we are sworn to secrecy about what it is that we collect) >>



I would'nt call it paranoia, but it raises a red flag of suspicion as to why he knows this, sure he's young and if he talks
to you this easy how loose is his mouth to his friends or anyone else, also he needs to be advised that private info is
private.....and as to promoting the hobby I don't do it at banks, parking lots or liquor stores, hehehehe
I'd like to have some sense of security coming and going to my SDB

Steve

AUandAG

Why does the bank allow access to the internet? My old boss would have canned me for being on the internet
at work. Period.

bob

LogPotato

The banker would be getting an ear full at dinner. It's one thing to do it, it's another to tell the customer about it!

Cougar1978

It would certainly bother me. Its unprofessional he would bring that up. Did he look up your home address also and give it to some robber friends? Likely, its just some inexperienced guy just trying to converse with customer.

I went to my bankbox today which contained 6 NGC storage boxes of PCGS / NGC coins . I had been out of town (Florida vacation) and moved coins from my safe at home to my SDB. I picked up 3 NGC storage boxes of coins and a box of currency (ebay store inventory) and left 3 of the NGC storage boxes of coins in the SDB ($20 DE / AGE bullion pool). So both trips I am sure the teller assisting me knew it had to be coins as heavy as it was.

You may want to mention this incident at your dinner with your banker friend. In all my years of going to SDB have never had any bank employee ask about contents. I am sure many suspected it was coins though.

Weather11am

The other side of all this is if you make this into a big deal, he's going to forever remember you (and your coins) which, to me, sounds very unappealing.

BryceM

RYK, you're a physician right? How would it play if you casually mentioned to him that you looked up his medical information at the hospital and noticed he was a smoker, diabetic, and recovering drug addict? Maybe what he did isn't the same order of magnitude, but you should have a reasonable expectation of privacy at your bank. You could also have answered, "Huh? Oh, them? Nah, I just do some computer/legal/consulting/astrology work for their business." Mention it to the banker? Absolutely, but softly, with tact.

vibr0nic

I like the thread.

It's an interesting grey area.

Maybe he's just looking to connect with a fellow collector, though.

It's naive to think that your bank transactions are truly completely private.

Lakesammman

The teller needs to be fired.

Tiny

This seemingly innocent young man now knows EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD ABOUT YOU!

DaveG

Since no one who has responded seems to work at a bank, let me say that banks are getting a lot more pressure from their regulators to "Know Your Customer" these days.

Bankers are even being trained to watch out for unusual activity at existing accounts.

I have no idea how retail employees do this, but it's almost conceivable that the teller (being new), seeing that RYK is depositing a check from a company that he's never deposited before, googled the payer to make sure it's a legitimate company who would have an honest reason for writing RYK a check.

Sounds creepy, I know.

Still, you should mention the behavior to your banker.



Disclaimer - Fortunately, I don't work on the retail side of banking, but I am subjected to the same training that tellers and other retail employees are.

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>The teller needs to be fired. >>

The trend in business these days seems to be to encourage workers to be best buds with their customers by chatting them up about what they're doing for the weekend or their vacation plans for the summer or whatever. Can you be sure the bank didn't instruct employees similarly, the teller just figured that was one way to do it and meant no harm?

messydesk

At least he was dumb enough to admit to you that he's profiling bank customers. If he was so forward about it, you can bet you're not the first. I imaging that after your banker buys you dinner, this teller will be on the receiving end of a stern talking to and/or a right, good thrashing. I would doubt he presents an immediate security risk, otherwise he wouldn't have announced it to you.

WillieBoyd2

I wouldn't tell anyone about the teller.

sparky64

This is a tough one. It was obviously inappropriate and unprofessional.
Might be awkward during your next visit too. You aren't going to want him as a teller again.

I'm pretty sure I'd mention it to your banker friend and ask him what he thinks.
Maybe this young man has a history of prying even with his short history.

I'd bet many tellers/employees do "research", just are smart enough not to tell you they did it.

wrighty

Having worked in the banking industry for well over a decade I can tell you first and foremost the teller was unprofessional and acted against most if not all banks policies with that exchange. That being said with the rules and regulations banks are under your account activity is being scrutinized along with everyone else's almost daily. Cash transactions are logged, individuals and businesses are scrubbed against the OFAC list, suspicious activity reports are filed, along with a multitude of other things. The patriot act, bank secrecy act, anti money laundering requirements etc put all of us under the microscope. The teller was wrong in this case but your financial institution probably knows more about you than you would like.

EVillageProwler

I agree with Dave. I also work for a bank (thankfully not retail!), and we're pushed to know our customers.

And, yes, I'd also mention this incident to someone. Due diligence needs to handled discreetly, until it raises a red flag. Then it gets handled even more discreetly.

EVP

WoodenJefferson

Without reading any of the other responses, sounds like he was attempting to make 'small talk' by hitting your hot button, but failed miserably. Your privacy at the bank is utmost priority, to you and it's employees. Mention it to his boss, probably not. If it continues, by all means complain, it is your right.

WingedLiberty1957

I think this is a trend. I deposited a check at my bank recently and got all kinds of questions on what I sold. Honestly I think the teller was making small talk, but it made me uncomfortable nonetheless.

savoyspecial

Fadetoblack: maybe they didn't ask because they already knew it all

grilloj39

I agree nothing wrong with small talk and some understandable curiosity. Googling your privacy was over the edge IMO. Mention it to your banker and leave it at that.

pennyannie

My bank waits until you walk out the door to spill the beans about you to the other tellers. I put it in the no big deal catagory.

I went to cash a rather large check from state farm and the teller at first told me they could not cash it because there was not a mortgage holder listed on the check. LOL. I told the teller there was not any reason for a mortgage holder to be listed as it was about something else.

lordmarcovan

Probably innocuous and harmless, but yeah, I can see how it would be annoying and a bit disturbing.

With my personality, that is the sort of thing I would clumsily do when talking to somebody. In the past, I used to act like that, totally oblivious of my foolishness. A few foot-in-mouth moments have taught me in my (somewhat) older and wiser days to think before I blab.

It doesn't always work out, but I do try to keep myself from doing stuff like that nowadays.

If I were a bored bank teller (often I am a bored hotel clerk), I might have Googled Great Collections or whatever, and mentioned it out of sheer dumb friendliness, to strike up a conversation. That's probably all it was. A faux pas on his part, to be sure, but if he was otherwise friendly and professional, I would let it slide.

Sonorandesertrat

<< <i>The young man had no right to do a search on your deposit data. Yes I would talk to his boss, the the young man needs to learn to respect the privacy of the clients of the bank. >>




This.

And it's not just bank employees. Five years ago, our mail carrier handed me a small package, and asked if it was a coin. She said people in the mail room were taking bets.

Type2

No big deal he did not Googl you he saw the deposit he works there at the bank, That is why you have other banks to use so that no one know what you have. Thanks about this!! You post on this open forum and you know none of us or the thousands's that are looking that don't post at all but sit back and look at all the post all day long.

scotty1419

One of the great disappointments of coin collecting is that we as collectors are ultra-diligent about security (mostly) and paranoid. Maybe it comes with the OCD...

From the young enthusiastic teller's perspective, I'm sure he saw the 'collections' reference, probably is a collector of something himself and thought "That's really neat!" and shared the tidbit out of interest, likely perfectly honest.

Personally I'd lean towards avoiding it the first go-round, but if it came up again, politely point out that you'd prefer to keep your interests and affairs private, etc etc.

99% - any strong criticism is going to be a massive smackdown for the new hire who was purely innocent and thought they were being friendly.

themaster

The fact that he disclosed the google search to you speaks volumes. I would chalk it up to youth, newb, and gung-ho. However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of remedy. Always be careful, but in this case I think you have nothing to worry about.


Have a Great Day!
Louis

Ahrensdad

I am a commerical banker in a community bank. I have been in the industry for over 20 years. In my opinion the teller behaved inappropriately. I would mentioned it to your banker over dinner not specifically making it about coins but that fact that he invaded your privacy. In my bank if there is question about my clients deposit, the teller walks into my office, shows me the deposited items and I make the determination about additional due diligence/holds etc if necessary. 9+ times out of 10, I already know exactly what they are depositing and whether that is normal for them. The teller had no business doing what he did.

Stepping back a bit, I am sure his youth, inexperience and eagerness to please/engage with you likely played a role. It's fairly likely that on previous trips to the bank, when you walked out he heard "that is Dr. RYK, he is a very good client of the bank" or something to that extent which made him interested in you. Most tellers process too many items to pull out a single check from a consumer deposit without reason. I think his reason just wasn't directly related to the job at hand.

Do I think he should lose his job. Probably not, unless he's done similar things with other customers. He does need a warning and additional training.

FWIW

Andrew

jessewvu

Let's see how this could play out in a conversation with him and a friend:

Teller: I talked with a guy today that collects coins, comes in here all the time and lives nearby. He was taking coins in/out of his SDB, as he usually does, and depositing checks worth XXX dollars, he must be a collector.
His friend: Is he rich? (this could be a simple question into how valuable the coins are)

The teller could potentially reply with an approximate value of your account(s), assuming he has that information when he services your account.


I wouldn't be very pleased with that interaction. I may have said something like I was selling the rest of my coins because I needed to pay off a medical bill and then remove my SDB assets from that bank.

lkeigwin

No, I would not tell the banker. I would talk to the newbie in a gentle but firm manner and let him know why what he did was inappropriate.

The kid made a mistake. Let him learn from it without losing his job. Anyone here make a big, dumb mistake when you were young?
Lance.