Forger takes home $65,000 from Atlantic Bank
An Orange Walk resident is sixty-five thousand dollars richer tonight. The government won’t be taking any percentage of his gains because it is all the proceeds of a crime. It wasn’t a robbery at gunpoint, but a man going by the name of Jorge Enrique Casanova allegedly tricked an Atlantic Bank employee into draining an account of one of its customers. According to the police, on February twenty-seventh, the bank’s supervisor in Orange walk, thirty-six year old Jorge Magana, accepted a cheque supposedly written by Ainsworth Johnson in the sum of sixty-five thousand dollars. The employee gave Casanova three thousand dollars cash and deposited the remaining sixty-two thousand dollars into his account. And on March first, Casanova allegedly travelled to Belize City and went into Atlantic Bank’s main Branch on Freetown Road to complete his crime. He wrote a withdrawal slip for sixty-two thousand dollars which, the cashier promptly cashed. And it was not until Tuesday that the bank realized that Johnson’s signature was forged. The police department in Orange walk is looking for Casanova for questioning.
Once again here is a tipical example where employees are not properly trained or as it is, things are taken for granted in Bze. As a former employee of a financial institution,there is no way I would have cash that cheque. For one more than one I d is required, verifications are to be made meaning making phone calls. Do not forget that a cheque for this amount, photograph has to be taken. This is basic stuff. Call the person who issue the cheque is the first thing to It;s not because I am familier with you that this is ok.
that’s why I respect Scotiabank’s policies!
I agree with ther pervious person comments . What kind of employee is that , working at a bank and doesnt know the rules to abid by.. Let me say that ppl account arent safe anymore, thats a shame to see things like this happening in Belize. They need to be more alert in the banks, when it comes to ppl hard working money. This makes the bank looks bad in public eye.
that’s a very intelligent guy!! who said that crooks were stupid……? lol!!! he’s good!! the employees are stupid!!! lol!!! he is $65,000 richer, personally,? no grudges!!!
I believe the cashier is involved. Nowadays for something like this to go unnotice by supervisors is uncommon.
$65,000.00????????? hmm, makes me wonder if my money is safe at Atlantic Bank.
Wow! Tellers at Belize Bank that are unfamiliar with customers ask for an ID. At least that’s what they did when I was trying to withdraw ‘my two cents’ from my account. Talk about “Smooth Criminal”.
Teller as well as the dude who forged the signature should be prosecuted. And as to Atlantic Bank, I am starting to consider moving to a more responsible Bank!! Imagine, it could had been a $5,00000 Check, and it would had still been cashed without questions, Totally stupid and embarassing.
I think that ALL banks need to train their employees on ALL the rules. I have been told at banks that since my account is ini another district in need to go their for certain transaction since “they” do it differently – excuse me aren’t you working for the same institution??
Atlantic really needs to step up to the plate that is the only bank that something like that can happen!!
smells like inside job..fire the supervisor and replace that man’s money!! otherwise sue! sue! sue! bunch of crooks! i hope they catch the guy and give him a real pay day in hattiville
WHAT A BLOODY SHAME!!!!COMMON ATLANTIC BANK, YOU WILL LOSE COSTUMERS
WOW ONE MAN RIP YOU OFF WITHOUT A GUN,
This guy is just fallowing the example that is taught to him by our leaders,this is no different than what the Mayor did.
Sorry Alice but i disagree with you statement or do you mean that this is common in Belize these days.
That is sad, that guy is already in mexico by now. But I feel that people in the bank knew what was going on, that is highly unusual and rare in Belize for someone to just make a transaction like that, as in transfering that amount of money without calling in, yup it does sound like an inside job
I pulled my money out of Atlantic Bank several years ago when one of their employees had scammed money out of a customers account. They turned on one of my friends and seemingly in an illegal manner tried to make it look like it was her. This is just history repeated…this time a little bigger.
I remember visiting my home, the place where I was born (Belize). I went out to Caye Caulker for a weekend visit. I went into to Atlantic Bank Branch at Caye, stand in line waiting to be serve, there were few white tourist in front of me, also waiting to be served I can”t say if they are predujice or what, but I was the only black person in line. I notice the teller door was wide open, when the spanish teller look and saw me she suddenly close the door, as to say the black man weh rob the bank. I immediately turn and walk out of the bank, my feelings was really hurt, I don’t know who cash this cheque, white or black, now many years after I can say there is a God,
and he don’t like ugly.
As far as am concerned Atlantic Bank is a friendly bank but not everyone is friendly to atlantic, such is the case of this incident….i totally agree with the comments where they say that its an inside job, cas when i go to cash my paycheck, the tellers walk all around the bank with my few cents wondering if its ok to cash it…i think that if i walk with a 65000.00 check it would quickly be cashed, what an irony!!!! what does the owner of the money has to say?? doesn´t he reconciles his bank account????? i think that supervisor and teller and owner of the money and the guy that cashed the check are all involved….just think about it…doesnt it makes business sense?????yes it does folks???
Wow!! stupid bank teller. I think anything over $500.00 shoud be verified and double check. Anyone cashing a check for that amount should be a red flag to a bank teller or a manager. How stupid can you be. I would sue the bank to get my money back, if I was that account holder.
There are many questions un answerd. what the taylor have to say? up to todays date i haven’t heard the owner of the money claims his money i think the taylor is related to that crime. how comes they wait for the big amout to be withdrawal to make the report of forgery isn’t that stupid send the taylor att hattievile too. the criminal should be hired by FBI for the wonderfull job he did because apart from that he give in himself no police arrest him.