Teller Breaks Up Drug Ring!

The teller had only been on the job three days in a financial institution that trained by the "one-on-one at the window" method.

She was handling the sale of a money order to a non-customer.

While in the process, she got all the information she was supposed to get-name and address of purchaser, name and address of payee, etc-following, to the letter, the instructions she had been given on how to sell money orders.

Because she was doing such a routine job, the head teller left the new teller alone to handle the transaction.

The money orders totaled $1000, and when she was given the cash-all in $100 bills-she proved the money, and then went to the head teller to be sure all that she had done was correct.

While the head teller was checking the transaction, the new teller said to her, "I didn't know all $100 bills had the exact same serial number"!

A quick telephone call brought the law enforcement people on the double! First the police, then the Secret Service, then the DEA. The passer was later identified as a local smurf for a large drug operation.

The name and address of the payee on the money order led to the person running the operation in that area.

Seven people were arrested and the local drug ring broken up.

All because of a brand new teller-who now knows that all $100 bills do NOT all have the 'exact same' serial number!

Copyright © 1990 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 1, No. 4, 4/90