When Bruce Francis transferred money online from his bank account to his dog walker, he had no idea that typing “For Dash” in the memo would cause such a problem. Dash is Francis’s nine-year-old Pit Bull mix, a certified service dog who helps Francis as he suffers from a form of Multiple Sclerosis. When Dash’s professional dog walker told Francis that he hadn’t gotten the payment, Francis checked his bank account. There he found a message that said “Please explain what for Dash means.”
The message mentioned OFAC, which is part of the U.S. Treasury. So Francis called OFAC, and they informed him that his transaction was flagged because his dog’s name, Dash, is similar to another name for the terrorist group ISIS, which is also known as Daesh. Francis said that he thought to himself, “Great, they’re stopping the world’s stupidest terrorist.” Dash, of course, is a loyal, helpful dog and about as far as you can get from being a terrorist.
OFAC apparently requires major banks to alert and review payment if one of the names on their list appears on transactions. So hopefully you haven’t named your dog anything suspicious, and if you have, leave their name off your checks. Dash continues his doggy life of taking naps and caring for his human, none the wiser that the government believed he might be a threat to national security.
Bank mistakes dog named Dash with Daesh, freezes check to dog walker over terrorism concerns. Story at 10 @KTVU pic.twitter.com/xS6WnG4Qrv
— Monte Francis (@MonteReports) March 26, 2016
Are you glad banks are on the lookout for terrorism? Or do you think this was a silly and obvious mistake? Let us know in the comments below!
Related Article:
