Des Moines woman finally gets lottery winnings from check bank refused to deposit
Chase Bank on Wednesday finally accepted the deposit of lottery winnings by a Des Moines woman, 11 days after she won $100,000 on a $20 “Super 20s” ticket purchased from a local Casey’s but struggled to get the bank to accept the check.
Veronica Cruz, a 33-year-old mother of six, complained to Watchdog earlier this week that the Chase branch where she is a customer froze her account, canceled her debit card and held the Iowa Lottery check issued by Wells Fargo after she tried to deposit her winnings on March 6.
The bank also sent her a message saying it might close Cruz's account to protect itself against potential fraud, even though the Iowa Lottery itself had published news of her winning on Facebook, Twitter and its website.
Cruz said she now plans to withdraw the money and open another bank account. She said she felt she had been profiled as a Latina by employees at the branch at 6150 S.E.14th St.
The bank's corporate media relations did not respond to Watchdog's messages seeking an explanation. Cruz said Wednesday no one from the bank had an offered her an explanation or apology.
Mary Neubauer, a spokesperson for the Iowa Lottery, said in an email earlier this week that a hold on a large check is standard until the check can be verified, but that the lottery had never seen a situation like the one Cruz described.
Lee Rood's Reader's Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at lrood@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8549, on Twitter at @leerood or on Facebook at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mother of six finally gets lottery winnings
