Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Hey kids, recently I had a late night rendezvous at Denny's and my FirstTennessee debit card left me unable to pay for a bill. My friends unhappily covered for me and I assumed it was just a fluke. The next day I unsucessfully attempted to check my bank account balance at an ATM and went in to the bank to talk to someone about the matter.

Well, apparently my bank account was flagged for "suspicious activity" having to do with frequent deposits and withdrawals (all from poker entities or neteller). Well First Tennessee told me maybe it was a good idea if "we" closed the account...of course I didn't get a say as they had already closed it. Apparently all the activity over the 1k mark sets off bells and whistles, yet I've been with them for a good year and they have never mentioned anything to me.

I don't know exactly what the worries were. Maybe an anti-terror or money laundering thing? I did later get a call from a guy at bank security who asked me "So you don't think we are allowed to close your account?". I told him something along the lines of "Sure you're allowed to, but I've been a good customer (also have a credit line with the bank which is still open but I will now pay off and close) and just don't think it's very reasonable to do so". Other than that he just toted that he was an ex-FBI agent and reiterated everything the bank personel told me.
Oh well, new bank. Maybe I'll break up withdrawal amounts more in the future and use strictly Neteller to do my depositing, but I think this is just a fluke and I shouldn't really have to.

Anyone else have something like this happen?

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Did you lose anything?


SFWUSC

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

No, though they made me come back the next day to get my $$$.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Besides the first two sentences, I don't believe a word of this.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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Besides the first two sentences, I don't believe a word of this.

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i hope you are right because this post scares the hell out of me. i have a ton of NETeller activity with my bank.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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Tennessee

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I think I found the problem.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

If this i some random podunk bank then I believe every word.

Now if Washington Mutual shut you down...then I'd doubt it.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Maybe switch to a larger national bank?

A lot of people here make a lot of money, and no one's posted anything similar happening.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

I have done 3K with no problems...and I have 6.6 million useless neteller points.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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Maybe switch to a larger national bank?

A lot of people here make a lot of money, and no one's posted anything similar happening.

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1st Tennessee is a large bank. Not B of A, but the biggest
in TN before interstate banking......

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Oh, well I don't know. *shrugs*

I use B of A though. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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1st Tennessee is a large bank. Not B of A, but the biggest in TN before interstate banking......

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Actually, Union Planters was bigger before the merger with Regions, but First Tennessee is in the top 50 largest in the country.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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I have done 3K with no problems...and I have 6.6 million useless neteller points.

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...those have got to be worth at least $1 in the raffles.

2nd

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Jeez...I use exclusively Neteller to cash in and cash out and have never had a problem with my bank. I also write 4 large checks to the IRS from that account each year, so maybe that helps. It's possible that having the sites wire money directly into your account sets off alarms. You have me worried about this, but I use a very large national bank.

Jeff

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

i use a local credit union. back when paradise poker allowed deposits/cashouts directly via credit card they called me once to tell me not to do that anymore, that their visa provider flagged paradise as gambling and that they'd have to shut off my account if i used it for that any further.

i transfer large amounts of money on a regular basis via neteller and i've never been contacted.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Yea, I mean...I'd be pissed if my account was just summarily closed w/o warning since I'm a customer in good standing. If they called me and asked me to not make these transactions anymore, I'd still be angry...but not nearly as much so. I hope this is an isolated incident as I make Neteller transactions of a decent size on a fairly regular basis.

Jeff

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Amsouth hasn't had any problems as of yet with me. I've been doing this for over a year. So you might try them.

On another note, hi fellow Tennesseean. Where are you located at? I'm currently in Cookeville, but I'll be moving to Knoxville soon. Just trying to find some games.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Presuming that you are not engaged in terrorism and you are reporting your poker winnings to the IRS, what in this post would make anyone worry?

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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If this i some random podunk bank then I believe every word.

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Yeah, this is like those backwoods Pharmacists refusing to fill birth control perscriptions.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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Besides the first two sentences, I don't believe a word of this.

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i hope you are right because this post scares the hell out of me. i have a ton of NETeller activity with my bank.

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This post makes me nervous but it doesn't scare the hell out of me. Am I missing a very real monster under the bed here? He got his money back, what specifically do you fear? I have an ominous feeling that I'm missing something here.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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what in this post would make anyone worry?

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The fewer ways there are and the more difficult it is for new players to make deposits ... enough?

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

[ QUOTE ]
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Besides the first two sentences, I don't believe a word of this.

[/ QUOTE ]

i hope you are right because this post scares the hell out of me. i have a ton of NETeller activity with my bank.

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This post makes me nervous but it doesn't scare the hell out of me. Am I missing a very real monster under the bed here? He got his money back, what specifically do you fear? I have an ominous feeling that I'm missing something here.

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i have 2 worries about this.

1st is that i'll have to find another bank and i have all of my businesses, personal investments etc with this bank. also, i have no assurance that it won't just happen with the new bank i find.

however, my biggest worry is that banks will treat NETeller deposits/withdrawals like visa/mc did and the fish will lose the easiest, safest method we have to move funds. if banks cut off NETeller, it is going to be a big problem for poker.

yes, there are other options. however, most of the options are also ways to integrate our banks with these web wallets. if they shut off NETeller funding, then firepay and IGM won't be far behind. if there is any more movement that results in making funding more difficult than it is now, then i think this is the biggest threat we have faced in a while.

my 2 cents

The Real Question
 

Did you lose your money? I'm assuming they just had you cash out.

I don't think this will be widespread, but the post did make me think.

I started an ING direct account last week based on a post here.

I have the ing direct linked to my checking account. Here's my question: can it also link to my neteller, i.e.

1. Transfer from neteller to ING direct
2. Transfer from ING Direct to Checking

can this work?

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Granny -

My impression from the original poster was that the banks were miffed over the transactions between the site(s), and not with Neteller. I believe he said he'd just use Neteller "from now on."

ElSapo

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

That's possible.


I second the notion that First Tennessee is not a small-ish bank.


I don't really make too many transactions. I would have to look up the last time I made a transaction FROM my bank TO neteller or a site.
I try to stay decently funded in the cyber-universe...and then occasionally take the cash-outs of course.


I use Trustmark and they have been just fine and dandy with me FWIW.....but again, I don't make very many transactions through the bank.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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Granny -

My impression from the original poster was that the banks were miffed over the transactions between the site(s), and not with Neteller. I believe he said he'd just use Neteller "from now on."

ElSapo

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i hope you are right. i read the post for the 5th time, and i still am confused. confusion is an ongoing thing with me, so i'm going to hope that you have the proper read on this.

ty E S

http://www.techhelpers.net/e4u/animal/tier39.gif

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

You've obviously never dealt with First Tennessee. I find it 100% believable.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

It's First Tennessee. If he's a college student it should be called First We Screw U.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

At December 31, 2004, the Corporation had total assets of $29.8 billion and ranked 1st in terms of total assets among Tennessee-headquartered bank holding companies and ranked 28th nationally.

Some podunk bank. I love random assumptions

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Granny, is that a gif of a frog eating Tinkerbell?
http://img249.echo.cx/img249/5269/frog4jh.gif

Just asking because I was confused by the clapping / masturbation gif in the past. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

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he just toted that he was an ex-FBI agent

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I truly despise tossers like this.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

I also have had problems with First TN Bank. They weren't poker related, but I would suggest everyone keep away from this paternalistic bank.

To the above poster....I live in Knoxville and we have some good .25/.50 NL games with some people that just SUCK but keep buying in, and some tourneys every now and then. PM me.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

I agree. I think herein lies the issue. If this guy is newly at the bank fresh out of the FBI, he may be trying to make hay with his bosses by proving he's useful for keeping the bank out of the woods for "suspicious" transactions. If I had this turd on the phone I would have asked him to tell me exactly what a suspicious transaction was and picked apart his pbrained responses. What could he do, close my account? Sounds like a tool to me. Probably born in Po Dunk, too.
I also agree with advice given in this thread about finding a MUCH larger bank to do business with. They can afford the lawyers to keep them out from under the eyes of the Feds and don't rely on exFBI agents to legitimize the transactions that take place in their business. BofA or Washington Mutual are good choices.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Maybe they were just worried that someone was stealing money from your account because of the huge withdrawal transactions, so they shut it down until they could talk to you about it and straighten everything out. Usually that is what they mean when they call it "suspicious" activity.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Home Federal is a much "nicer" bank, BUT it is super conservative.

BoA and NBA would be my 2 best guesses as to local B&M banks that wouldn't care about Neteller transactions.

I've been with my credit union 25yrs. I can do about anything I want and not get grief.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

geez. i always thought it was a dragonfly. i think you are right. it is some kind of fairy, but not _2000flushes. hmmm

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

I believe that they're pretty strict about gambling being illegal in TN. (I live in TN, but I'm leaving saturday for [censored] good for CA a nice gambling-friendly state).

It's not really surprising to me that they'd decide that your transactions are illegal too.

This is the same place that tried to shut down a charity poker tournament last October, even though there wasn't a money prize involved. (the one where Moneymaker showed up, for his fraternity charity). I thought that was pretty classless but not really surprising. They published the state statute on gambling and poker in the paper around that time, and it seemed to me that even playing internet poker for real money was considered illegal in TN.

Can't really enforce it I suppose, but I'm not surprised that they'd shut you down for gambling transactions.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Unless it's been changed recently, games of chance are illegal. Games of skill can have wagers and be legal. If someone is taking a rake it's illegal. Now that there is a state lottery, most of the old charity "gambling" events are back on. Do note this "illegal" charity crap became a big deal during the reign of a moron governor.

The law is so moronic in pool a player auction is legal, but a calcutta is illegal. What's the difference you ask? The words used.

As for First Tn Bank, it's ran in a manner that is less than friendly to students and "marginal" types. Only Home Federal is more conservative (but HF is MUCH easier for the customer, they are just TIGHT with a loan). If you are small time (read student/marginal) they'd prefer you bank elsewhere.

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

TN -> CA = +EV

Re: Bank account closed for poker transactions
 

Well, I'm not all that concerned that some of you don't believe me. I could come up with better things to make up. But it seems that a number of you have had problems with FirstTennessee as well, so my tale can't be that unbelieveable. I don't really believe neteller was the issue here, but rather the big picture they got from all of my transactions. I had very regular deposits all over the online poker world via ATM/Check Card. It had to be painstakingly clear that I was using my bank account for gambling purposes more than anything else. I still think it's absurd that my account was closed, but I believe that it can be avoided. Granny, I'm sure you'll be fine sticking with FirstTennessee if you continue to use a go-between like Neteller. Maybe consider changing banks if you hear any other horror stories, but if you have a lot of assets tied up there then don't worry about it. It's not like they seized my funds...just gave me a headache for the week.

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I think herein lies the issue. If this guy is newly at the bank fresh out of the FBI, he may be trying to make hay with his bosses by proving he's useful for keeping the bank out of the woods for "suspicious" transactions. If I had this turd on the phone I would have asked him to tell me exactly what a suspicious transaction was and picked apart his pbrained responses. What could he do, close my account? Sounds like a tool to me. Probably born in Po Dunk, too.

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I completely agree with this caricature of the bank security guy. I guarantee you I picked him apart on the phone but he just talked in circles. Worse than dealing with PP suport (ok maybe not).
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TN -> CA = +EV

[/ QUOTE ]Nosiree
I don't play B&M, I like my rent cheap, I don't like traffic, I believe folks are nicer here, and I just plain feel at the base of the beautiful smokies...maybe I'm a redneck but I love it.