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uggested that I get the entire amount in cash and put it in a safe…deposit box at my bank。
〃Why？〃 I asked。
〃Picture walking into the vault； going behind the curtain； and opening a box filled with 95；000 cash。 It'll be fun to look at。 How many times in your life are you going to have 95；000 cash in a safe…deposit box？〃
I liked the idea。 It seemed as though it couldn't hurt； since the money would never leave my bank。
I asked a teller if the bank could get me a hundred thousand dollars in cash if I needed it。 The teller broke out in a chuckle and said； 〃Nobody's ever done that in the fifteen years I've been working。〃
〃But if I wanted to； can you get me that much cash？〃
The teller chuckled again； this time with a touch of nervousness； and she replied； 〃We'd have to tell the IRS and order it four days in advance。 But nobody's ever done that。〃
〃You'd have to order it four days in advance and notify the IRS？〃
〃Yes； because we don't keep that much cash on hand。 The largest bill in circulation now is the 100 bill； there are no more 500 bills。 And we have to report any cash withdrawals in excess of 10；000。〃
Five First Interstate branches later； I'd learned that no safe…deposit boxes were available that were big enough to hold that much cash in 100 bills。
Later that day I began contemplating just how much money 95；000 was； and I arrived at this： one thousand dollars a month for eight years。
The next day； June 13； I woke up and decided that if I couldn't look at cash； it would be almost as fun to look at a cashier's check。 I got in my car and drove to the California Street office of First Interstate； because it is the bank's showcase branchcathedral ceilings； marble floors； towering columns； and gold trimlocated in the heart of San Francisco's skyscraper district。
First I approached the Customer Service window and filled out the form for a small； fifty…dollar…per…year safe…deposit box。 Then I went to a teller's window。 The teller asked how she could help me。
Suddenly； my mouth got all dry。 I didn't want to say 95；093。35 out loud；。 So I asked the teller for a piece of paper。 I wrote 95；093。35 on it； passed it to her； and said； 〃I'd like to get this amount in a cashier's check。〃
Without saying a word； she began moving quickly to grab papers and forms。 Then she rushed out these words： 〃You need to write me a check for the same amount。〃 She seemed bothered。
I understood and began to write out the check。 Suddenly I was daunted by having to write out 95；093。35。 I had never written it out in words before and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get it to fit on the line： ninety…five thousand ninety…three dollars and thirty…five cents。 That was the biggest number I'd ever written into the suddenly small space on a check。
It took her only two minutes to prepare the cashier's check。 It seemed like twenty。 Her manager approved it； and she slid it across the counter to me。
I walked straight back to Customer Service and was escorted into the vault。 The bank teller slid my box out and pointed me to the curtain I could go behind for privacy。 〃No need；〃 I said； and I slipped the folded check out of my jeans pocket and into the metal container。
The minute I stepped out of my bank and onto the street just below the TransAmerica Pyramid Tower； my blood raced with the strangest feeling： like I was ten feet taller； twice as fast； and suddenly capable of super powers。 As I headed to my car； I slipped the ninety…five thousand ninety…three dollar and thirty…five cent safe…deposit box key onto my key ring。
End Part II
Part III： The Day They Noticed 95；093。35 Missing
Patrick Combs is available as keynote speaker for your next event。 Let him inspire your audience with the story and discussion of his 95；000 Adventure。 He is also the author of MAJOR IN SUCCESS： Make College Easier； Beat The System & Get A Very Cool Job （Ten Speed Press）。 All contents on this page ？ 1995； By Patrick Combs。 All rights reserved。 goodthink
95；093。35 Adventure； Part III The Day They Noticed 95；093。35 Missing
One week after I put the cashier's check into the safe…deposit boxand thirty…three days after I had deposited the junk mail checkthree people from my bank called。 They flooded my voice mail with messages that said it was 〃very important〃 and 〃very urgent〃 that I return their calls 〃as soon as possible。〃 One of the calls was from my branch office； one from the bank's Los Angeles headquarters； and one from an officer in the security department。
That evening I put my bank card into an ATM to get some cash for dinner。 The ATM ate my card； and on the screen green words glowed： 〃Card Confiscated。 Contact Your Branch Office。〃
The next morning I was up at 5：30 a。m。 to catch a flight to New York； to begin a three…week vacation I had scheduled over a month ago； before The Check。 My flight had a short stopover in Seattle at about 10：00 a。m。； and I used the time to return the bank's calls。 The hardest call was the third call with the Robert Gage； First Interstate's Senior Security Officer。 He took my call right away。 （It's funny how you don't have to wend your way through your bank's time…wasting voice…mail systems when you've got a major chunk of their change。） Robert was an older man with a very gruff cop's voice。 He was not a happy camper。 Immediately he informed me that he was 〃on the case〃 and he wanted the cashier's check NOW。
When I asked him how he thought this could have happened； he let me know loudly that he didn't care a bit WHY First Interstate Bank would have cashed a junk…mail check； because this was a matter of fraud。
He'd heard I was out of town； so he proceeded to drill me with possible ways to get the check back immediately。
He said； 〃Can you fly back to return the check right now？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃Then could someone else open the box？〃
〃No； sir。 I'm the only one on the signature card。〃
〃Will you give me permission to drill the box？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃So you won't cooperate！〃
I replied； 〃Yes； I will。 As soon as I get back on July 6。〃
〃Why won't you give me permission to drill the box？〃
〃Because it would be irresponsible of me。 You say you're from First Interstate Bank and that the check was returned； but I haven't received anything in writing。 I feel responsible for the money now； and I feel I should receive an official letter from my bank。〃
Now things really got heated。 He shouted； 〃You're not getting any letter！ This phone call is all you're getting； and it's all I have to give you！ You committed check fraud when you got a cashier's check for money you knew wasn't yours。 And this isn't about 100 or 10；000。 We're talking about 100；000 dollars！ Almost 100；000。 If you don't return that money； what you're going to get is policemen at your door！ Now will you give me permission to drill the box？〃
〃No； sir。〃
But he lightened up a lot when I told him； 〃I have not spent； nor do I intend to spend； a cent of that money。 And I have no intention of keeping money that doesn't belong to me。〃 As a matter of fact； it warmed him up so much that he said if I would agree to call him on July 6； the minute I got home； no matter what the hour （he gave me his home number and his pager number）； then he wouldn't take further action。 He also said he'd comply with my request to unfreeze my bank account so that checks I had written wouldn't bounce。
That conversation left my mind racing for days。
End of Part III
Part IV： Learning My Rights
Patrick Combs is available as keynote speaker for your next event。 Let him inspire your audience with the story and discussion of his 95；000 Adventure。 He is also the author of MAJOR IN SUCCESS： Make College Easier； Beat The System & Get A Very Cool Job （Ten Speed Press）。 All contents on this page ？ 1995； By Patrick Combs。 All rights reserved。 goodthink
95；093。35 Adventure； Part IV Learning My Rights
I arrived in New York still quite shaken from the telephone call with the security officer。 The words 〃fraud；〃 〃policemen〃 and 〃not willing to cooperate〃 kept echoing in my head。
I decided it was time to learn my rights。
After a few quick phone calls to law schools； I had a list of Bay Area lawyers who specialized in banking and checks。 I decided to call Manuel Fields first because of his specialty； check fraud。
I told Manuel my first name and asked him if I could tell him my situation to determine whether or not I needed a lawyer。 〃Sure；〃 he said。 I told him the entire story； without mentioning the amount of the junk…mail check。 He laughed a bit and asked； 〃Exactly how much was this check for？〃
I was hesitant to tell a lawyer the amount； but I knew I couldn't lie。 I said； 〃95；093。35。〃
For what seemed like a full minute； all I heard on the other end of the line was a man laughing very； very hard。
〃I'm sorry；〃 he said after he finished。 〃I've just never heard of anything like this。〃
Manuel informed me of the following：
* According to Commercial Paper Law； the money was now legally mine； because all checks are first assumed to be valid； and the way a bank invalidates a check is by serving the depositor with a timely notice of dishonor。 Considering that it had taken my bank 33 days to tell me my check had been returned； he did not think they had dishonored the check in time。
* Fraudulent checks are a different matterbut he said； 〃Since you deposited the check thinking there was no chance it would cash； and without even endorsing it； you did not commit fraud。〃
* Getting the cashier's check was also not an act of fraud； since the bank had previously assured me the check could no longer be returned。
So I called Robert Gage； and asked him to please fax me the customer service letter and a photocopy of the junk mail check from my bank。 （I had forgotten what it had looked like and wanted to be very clear about what was on it and what wasn't。）
They faxed me documents。
What arrived by fax was a surprise。 It was incredible to see the front and back of the check。 I had forgotten just how real the bogus check looked。 This was the first time that I could confirm that the check in fact matched all nine criteria for a negotiable instrument。
But what surprised me more was the 〃official letter〃 from my bank。 What came out of the fax machine wasn't a letter from my bank at all； but a memo from First Chicago Bank dated June 5。 It was my first piece of the puzzle of how this whole thing could have happened。
The memo； which had the amount of my check on one line and the word 〃non…negotiable〃 circled on another； had a name and phone number for an Account Adjuster on it。 I decided to call him。 （As my brother says； 〃More information is always good。〃）
I reached Edwin Mickley； the man who had written the memo。 I told him who I was and why I was calling。 He explained that the memo I now possessed was the notice of dishonor that he had sent to my bank about the 95；093。35 check。 On the same day that he sent the memo； his bank also reclaimed 95；093。35 from my bank。
〃So MY bank is out the money？〃 I asked。
〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃All the other banks involved have recovered their money。〃
Suddenly it dawned on me： this memo was dated June 5。 That's the day my bank learned that the check had been dishonored。 Why had First Interstate waited until June 21 to notify me of the problemespecially since； by law； they were supposed to notify me by midnight of June 6！
No doubt about it now； my bank had made a big mistake。 And they had faxed me a memo to prove it。
At the end of the conversation； Edwin did me another big favor。 He obliged my request for the names of the other banks involved。 He didn't even mind telling me whom I should talk with and what item number I should reference。
I called the other banks involved； and soon learned the details of the entire fiasco。 I had deposited the check on Friday； May 19。 On Monday； May 21； it was overlooked by my bank and sent onto the bank in Chicago that was acting as a clearinghouse。 It was again overlooked there。 The next day； on May 22； it was sent to the Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland； and this bank rejected the check； calling it a 〃non…cash〃 item。 （Take note that the Federal Reserve Bank rejected the check within 48 hours after it l