3-On Your Side: Money Returned Following Frightening Attack, Robbery
By Elizabeth Hur
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- 3 On Your Side gets action for a local woman who was attacked and robbed at Franklin Mills Mall in November.
She's getting her money back after Eyewitness News contacted her bank, TD Bank.
Kathryn Weisbrod explained, "This is a disgrace. I feel it's a nightmare."
We first met Weisbrod and her friend in November. (see related story)
"He took his right arm and went around my neck like this with a knife," Weisbrod said.
Police say a man caught on a surveillance photo is still out there after kidnapping the two elderly women outside the Franklin Mills Walmart. The victims told police, at knifepoint, the suspect ordered them to drive to three ATMs and withdraw $700 from their bank accounts. That was on November 15th.
"My friend, she went to her bank, it's a Police and Fire Credit Union. They hugged her. They kissed her and gave her money back in 5 days," Weisbrod said.
But Weisbrod says even with a copy of a police report, TD bank denied her claim.
"And I also got charged a $2 fee for not going to a TD Bank and I said, 'Well at knifepoint, I didn't have a choice to shop around'," Weisbrod added.
She received the letter from TD bank on Saturday. The letter read in part:
"Our investigation has indicated that an error did not occur and your account will not be credited. The reason for this judgment was based upon the following:
- Transaction(s) occurred within cardholder's location and/or spending pattern.
- Transaction(s) and/or balance inquire(s) occurred with no invalid PIN attempt(s).
- The spending/withdrawal pattern (withdrawal amounts, frequency, etc.) is consistent with the cardholder's previous withdrawal patterns.
- No attempts made with card after it was closed."
Out of frustration, she contacted Eyewitness News on Thursday. Weisbrod heard from her bank again on Thursday, just hours after Eyewitness News got involved. A man who identified himself as TD Bank's Manager of Operations called and informed Weisbrod -- she is getting her money back.
"I'm very happy. However, I still feel that if it wasn't for channel 3 and Elizabeth Hur, I don't think I would have gotten anything," Weisbrod said.
In response to our inquiry, Eyewitness News received the following statement from TD Bank:
"We are saddened to hear about Ms. Weisbrod's ordeal. We understand there was confusion around the claim; the investigation took more time as we just received the police report this week. Since the incident happened at a non-TD Bank ATM, the bank wouldn't have to reimburse the funds, but TD Bank is not your typical bank. We truly care about our customers. We will reimburse the $203 because it is the right thing to do."
