Posted on 08/05/2013 6:47:29 PM PDT by moonshinner_09
I found a international moneygram money order in the parking lot in a busy shopping plaza.There is no name, address, or other information on it. There is a dollar amount printed on . I called Moneygram customer service, but just got a recording. I called local stores here, but they weren't able to give me any information (or advice). I was trying to locate the owner, so I can return it to him. Now that I can't find the owner, what should I do? I've never had a money order, so what is the legal issues regarding it? Is it like a check that has to be signed by a particular person? Or is it like a $100 bill that can be used by anyone? What is the law about a found international money order, if I can't locate the owner? Also, are there other ways to find the owner?
I know what I would do with it, but I am sure not going to tell you.
Give it to the police.
There must be a serial number on it, I suggest you call the issuer again — you must be able to get more than a recording, they should be able to tell you whether the buyer is traceable — if they didn’t buy it for cash, the moneygram issuer would have their contact info. They may not give it to you, but they should be able to get in touch with the original buyer and let him know who has their money order — you can give them your contact info.
I would work a little harder than you have so far, to find the owner. I imagine there is more than a few dollars we are taking about.
You will feel a lot better if you are able to find the owner, than if you spend the money. It is not exactly like cash, it’s traceable.
Money orders are usually paid in cash, no I.D. Required.
In this instance the receipt is still attached so it will be very difficult to say who it belongs to.
If it’s originated at USPS I think there is a notation on there somewhere.
I occasionally have to send money orders as I haven’t a clue where my checkbook is. Everything gets paid online ; mostly.
What do you think I am doing. Turn in to whom ? Moneygram they do not know who bought it since it was paid for by cash. There are moneygrams all over town. The shopping center is huge. When you buy a money order you fill out then and there so this does not happen.I imagine it is going to Mexico. I cannot dedicate the rest of my life checking every moneygram in TEXAS. Thats why I asked here
Take it to the police or the municipality “lost and found” office, if there is one.
If it is like a USPS money order, it has a tracking number.
The tracking number is only good it when it has been filled out and mailed to the intended party.They cannot track it to a parking lot as there is no information to track it too. It is a real money order.It has a security dot you push it changes colors if real. How can they track something that was never sent & without any personal information on it.Who are they going to track it too ?
BofA?
Most State laws require you to do a search for the owner and holding an item for a reasonable amount of time before claiming it. I’m not sure if you’re also required to turn it into the police.
The money order stub may be attached, but most stores with modern checkout technology will also print a store receipt with the MO number on it. So, the store that issued it and the buyer of the MO will have another receipt in addition to the MO stub. That would be the only way I can think of to identify the original buyer.
Take it to the nearest bar fight you can find and shout into the front door: “MONEY GRAM FOR MONGO!!”
Check your local Craig’s List to see if anyone is asking if someone found their money order?
You can only do so much, at some point the person who lost it will just have to cope with that fact, draw whatever life’s lessons they can and move on.
If you can’t locate the original owner on your own, and you trust your local PD, turn it in to their found property section.
Odds are very good that the original owner won’t report its loss to them, and if it remains unclaimed it, legitimately becomes yours. You have done all a reasonable person can be expected to do to find the owner.
Manna from Heaven.
It could belong to a single mother who needs it to pay her bills. Consider contacting the establishment where it was found to see if they can assist in finding the owner.
The guy who posted this is right. You need to go back to the strip club right now and ask if any of the single mothers lost it. They will probably all claim it if so I recommend that you ask them all to show you the skin areas under their G-Strings where they keep their money then you will need to look very closely for ink stains matching the colors of the ink on the money order those girls tend to work up a sweat on those poles so the ink should have left a nice stain. Good Luck
good advice.
Dear St.Pete!
well, technically I think you can just cash it
someone stole a money order from my pocket and when I called it in (I had the mo’s serial # or whatever on me) it had already been cashed in less than an hour.
why did you pick up a piece of paper on the street. don’t even know where it’s been.
You could just cash it.
That’s what thieves usually do.
Of course if the person who paid for it had a receipt they might have been able to cancel it.
“My own bank will not cash a USPS money order from my parents to me. “
Not surprised. I’ve only bought and cashed them at a post office.
It belongs to somebody. The first step is to take it to the police. That’s the right action to take even if you don’t see the end.
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