Somewhere, Jim Oberweis Is Smiling

By Matt Wood in News on Dec 9, 2005 5:00PM

More than 50 customers of a US Bank branch in Highwood found a huge lump of coal in their stockings this week. They reported that money is missing from their accounts, some losing up to $40,000. One man told the Tribune that the bank had no records of his accounts, and others said that their CDs had fake account numbers. The FBI and US Bank are investigating.

Most of the victims are Mexican immigrants who had put their life savings in the bank. The Mexican Consulate has been working with the US government to encourage immigrants to open bank accounts, but many of the victims may be afraid to come forward for fear of being deported. In order to receive any kind of repayment, they'd have to file a police report, which is a big no-no if you're without papers.

The investigation is centered on a former employee of the bank who dealt with all of the victims. Chicagoist would bet our savings (not in US Bank, fortunately) that she targeted immigrants specifically, knowing they'd be afraid to come forward after the fact. We're just afraid that the money will be impossible to track; if she was giving out fake account numbers and collecting cash from these people, there are no records at the bank to prove how much they lost, and chances are the money has long been spent.