so, I've been accused of stealing

[Fox12]

So, I just had a really awkward/infuriating day. I got woken up by a call from my boss, asking me if I'd deposited a check in the last month. I said I'd deposited several, and he asked me a specific amount. I confirmed that yes, I had. Evidently that check had belonged to another associate who shared my fifst name, and had been given to me by mistake. Now, the check was a little more then the normal amount for my part time job, but it had been handed to me the day after everyone had gotten a yearly bonus, so I naively took it and deposited it after barely glancing at it.

Now, for this too happen, it had to go through my supervisor, through me, and then through the bank. None of us payed attention and caught it.

When I heard about it, I promptly took the exact amount out of my account and went in to work (it was my off day). The guy, who I'd never met, bulrushed me at the door, and basically accused me of stealing. He started by asking questions, and then implying that I had probably forged his signature, and that he would take it up with the police, even after I showed him the money I'd brought in. In front of customers in the store. Initially I tried to be nice, but at this point I lost my temper, and basically demanded that we get the manager. Things calmed down after that, but the guy basically stated that he didn't believe me, and there was no way it was a mistake. We even have the signature on the check, where I'd clearly written my name. Thankfully the manager has my back.

Now, I feel bad, since I DID make a huge mistake, but I honestly don't know what else I could have done. Furthermore, I feel like he was completely out of line in his behavior. How do you think I should have handled that, and what do you think I should do now? Have you ever been accused of something you didn't do, or that was an accident?

 

[Story]

I think you handled it the best way you could and honestly I don't blame the guy from being that irrational about it. Missing your paycheck is a pretty big deal.
I'm not sure exactly what more you can do, aside from defending your case by telling the truth. I also think it was whoever handed you the check in the first place is also at fault for not realizing this mistake.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Who pays in cheques nowadays? Use outdated tech, don't blame people for making an occasional accident. Your boss is a tool, don't beat yourself up about it. Unless you were doing it each pay day, it's hardly a problem and anybody that cries foul deserves a bit of lip in return. Tell your boss to pay into a personal account, then.

(Edit)If this other guy gives you a hard time, don't touch. Just tell him, with a shit eating grin (very important); "Sorry." Police won't do shit until either one of you lays a hand on the other, or breaks property... If you let it get to you, it won't stop. Might as well own it and look like you don't give a toss than walk around looking guilty despite doing nothing wrong.

He's an arsehole, and chances are he's been an arsehole to others. Go on the verbal counter offensive... and if you apologize (properly) he sounds just like the sort to hold it over you.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Oooh, that does sound awkward...

Did he ever accept the money back?

I can't quite recall anything like this happening to me.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Some people can't let wrongs done to them go, even after being made good.

I think you handled the situation very maturely. Fuck that guy, bring the police into it. For what? He got his money back.

 

[Frankster]

You handled the situation as best as you could, it was an honest mistake even if that guy doesn't believe it.

 

[Phasmal]

Well, if it was given to you, it wasn't your mistake. It's not your job to make sure your job is actually paying you your money, not someone else's.

 

[wulf3n]

Now, I feel bad, since I DID make a huge mistake

I wouldn't. It's not like you were the only one who made the mistake, and the level of your mistake seems significantly lesser than that of your work and especially the bank.

I feel like he was completely out of line in his behavior.

It was essentially slander.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

It pays off to be thorough, but in the event of such mistakes, corrections must always be made.

The accuser is a dipshit though.

 

[Parasondox]

Super tl;dr here, I once got accused of stealing a girls phone after I convinced her to break contact with her mentally abusive boyfriend. Once he eventually got back in contact with her she said I stole her phone. I got arrested and everything, spent a couple of hours in a cell.

WHAT?! Did they have any evidence that you did steal her phone? Because with any real proof, they shouldn't have arrested you. Questioned you, fine, because that's part of the process. How did the matter end if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Cryselle]

What I would do in the scenario is pretty much what you did. You apologize, you take what steps that you can reasonably do to make it right, then as far as your involvement you're done.

The other guy was upset, that's understandable. If he calms down and drops it, then you can drop it and everything is done with. If he doesn't, then you take it up the chain until it gets dealt with properly. It seems like your company has your back on it, so if he spends the next indefinite future making a scene of it it'll probably end in him being fired. And if your company does NOT have your back when you're being falsely accused and have already fixed it... then fuck 'em.

 

[Saltyk]

I had a coworker complain to my boss because I asked him if he was staying late. That's it. Seriously my boss explaining this to me was almost comically.

"Careful what you say to [coworker]."
"Okay... What did I say to him?"
"Last night you asked him if he was staying late."
"Yeah... What did I say to offend him?"

Some people are just miserable and want to be miserable. While your coworker has a right to be mad that you took his check, he really should drop it. You obviously went out of your way to return the money to him and rectify the situation as soon as you learned about it. Frankly, he should apologize to you.

 

[the December King]

... So, did he get your cheque then? I'm assuming pay-day is the same day for all employees where you work, but did he deposit yours?

 

[Leg End]

So, I just had a really awkward/infuriating day. I got woken up by a call from my boss, asking me if I'd deposited a check in the last month. I said I'd deposited several, and he asked me a specific amount. I confirmed that yes, I had. Evidently that check had belonged to another associate who shared my fifst name, and had been given to me by mistake. Now, the check was a little more then the normal amount for my part time job, but it had been handed to me the day after everyone had gotten a yearly bonus, so I naively took it and deposited it after barely glancing at it.

Now, for this too happen, it had to go through my supervisor, through me, and then through the bank. None of us payed attention and caught it.

Going down that chain, at the root it is the fault of your super. It's his job presumably to make sure everyone gets paid.

When I heard about it, I promptly took the exact amount out of my account and went in to work (it was my off day).

There is nothing anyone can say that could make you a bad person at this point.

The guy, who I'd never met, bulrushed me at the door, and basically accused me of stealing. He started by asking questions, and then implying that I had probably forged his signature, and that he would take it up with the police, even after I showed him the money I'd brought in. In front of customers in the store. Initially I tried to be nice, but at this point I lost my temper, and basically demanded that we get the manager. Things calmed down after that, but the guy basically stated that he didn't believe me, and there was no way it was a mistake. We even have the signature on the check, where I'd clearly written my name. Thankfully the manager has my back.

Now, I feel bad, since I DID make a huge mistake, but I honestly don't know what else I could have done. Furthermore, I feel like he was completely out of line in his behavior. How do you think I should have handled that, and what do you think I should do now? Have you ever been accused of something you didn't do, or that was an accident?

I think you should get all proof that it wasn't your fault and keep it at the ready in a safe location in case someone tries to blame you and does involve the police. You handled that better than most I can think of.

I've been accused of some weird things. It pays to have audiovisual evidence.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I guess this doesn't apply to every stores-

When it come to something like this (well like internal thief or other trouble incident like e.g. the keyholder forgot his/ her key to the store and took hours to find it), there's a third party (a guy who worked in a different store of the same company) who write everybody statement on the incident. Granted the said everybody must choose their words carefully and speak slowly.

That way should everybody go apeshit, it will be their written words against theirs.

 

[Batou667]

We even have the signature on the check, where I'd clearly written my name. Thankfully the manager has my back.

1) You... write your own name on the check? Surely that's the job of whoever's issuing it? Do your work just hand out blank checks or something? That sounds risky.

2) At any rate, it boggles my mind that the bank teller would process a check made out with a completely different surname.

I got arrested and everything, spent a couple of hours in a cell.

I guess you could say you got an unwanted reception and an angry bird got you consigned to a cell(phone). You should feel lucky they didn't add battery to the charge. Were you unlocked in the end, or did you get jailbroken? At any rate it's good you're roaming free again.

 

[Jux]

Sounds like the bank that accepted the check made the biggest mistake. Even if you endorsed the back (in your own name), they should have checked to make sure it was actually made out to you in the first place.