‘You cannot be vigilant enough': San Diego couple recovers $895 after fake check fraud

A North County couple is sharing a cautionary tale after a case of bank fraud left them frustrated and searching for answers for weeks.

Ron Susi and Linda Kaiser say someone cashed a fake check for $895 from their checking account, and they struggled to get help from their bank until NBC 7 Responds stepped in.

The couple has been married for 50 years and retired about 12 years ago. Staying active has always been part of their lifestyle, including years of hiking around the world.

“We both retired about 12 years ago to watch our grandkids when they were little,” Ron said.

Even in retirement, they say they walk every day to stay healthy.

“We walk 10 miles a day, every day,” Linda said.

That routine was disrupted last November when Ron noticed something unusual in their bank records.

“I saw this check for $895, and I said, ‘Gee, what is that for?’” Ron said.

“So I said to Linda, ‘Do you know this person?’ And she said, ‘No,’” he added.

The couple says the check was not theirs and believes someone created a fake check using their account number. They immediately went to Citibank, where a teller suggested they close their checking account and open a new one.

But resolving the fraudulent check proved difficult.

“They said call the fraud department. Okay, I understand that, but they never told me calling the fraud department would be like calling the White House,” Ron said.

While Ron was able to get through to someone file an initial fraud claim, he says he spent weeks trying to get updates and could not reach a real person by phone.

“I called them, this was in early November, I called them about every five days… got into December, didn’t hear anything, it was frustrating,” Ron said.

During that time, Linda filed a report with the Carlsbad Police Department, hoping investigators could locate the fraudster.

“I was more angry than scared. How dare he put us through all this?” Linda said.

The couple eventually decided to contact NBC 7 Responds for help.

“We always watch Channel 7 news,” Ron said. “And I said, we should call them, maybe they can help us.” 

“And I said that’s a good idea,” Linda added.

An NBC 7 Responds producer contacted Citibank, and five days later, the couple saw results.

“They credited our account with $895,” Ron said. “I am not sure we would have gotten it without her [the NBC 7 Responds producer],” Linda added. “No, we wouldn’t have, I am confident it would have never happened,” said Ron.

In a statement, a Citi spokesperson said, “We’re pleased to have resolved this matter with our client.” The bank said it cannot provide a standard timeline for fraud investigations because incidents vary greatly in complexity.

Linda hopes sharing their experience will help others avoid a similar situation.

“But I also want to make people aware of how vulnerable their checking account is. You have to be careful where you give checks. I don’t think you can be careful enough not get hacked,” she said.

The couple says they are not sure how their checking account information was compromised, but after this experience, they will no longer write checks.

“No more,” Linda said.

Their advice to others is to closely monitor financial accounts and act quickly if something looks wrong.

“The first thing to do is look at your bank account and credit card every week. You cannot be vigilant enough, even for a few days if you can,” Linda said.

“And as soon as it happens, make calls, go to the bank, and if nothing happens within two weeks, call NBC 7,” Ron and Linda said with a laugh.

Mail theft is surging again, so never mail checks, and if you’re a senior, you can also report the fraud to the San Diego District Attorney’s Office.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.