Submitted by Vegetable_Ad_8848 t3_zrr2po in personalfinance
I tried to do a 401k rollover between companies over the past several months. Following my company's directions for a 401k rollover, I requested checks from my original 401k management company, they sent them to me, and I sent them on to the new company, Vanguard. The checks were received by Vanguard but they "rejected" the transaction due to missing "Confirmation of after-tax cost basis from prior account". Rather than calling me or notifying me, Vanguard claims to have mailed the checks back to me via USPS Priority mail with no tracking information. The checks never arrived and after many months of going back and forth between the two companies, requesting stop payments and reissue of checks, I was told that the larger check ~$30k was "cleared" on 10/3/22. Vanguard insists that they didn't deposit the checks and that they mailed them to me on 9/16/22. I have a scan of the deposited check, there is no information (that I can discern) re: who cashed the check. Rather than a stamp on the endorsement line it is just a "wet signature" (which is a scribble) and there is a alpha-numeric sequence (TX_02_220913_....) stamped on the bottom of the check - maybe by the bank which deposited the funds.
I have called each 401k company extensively and neither will help. I have tried to file fraud claims with both of them, I have tried calling the US DOL EBSA, the SEC, I have filed a police report, and I have tried to file a fraud claim with JP Morgan since the check has their name on it and they disbursed funds to someone other than who was named on the check (it was addressed to VFTC Vanguard FBO <my name>). So far no one is helping. EBSA agreed that JP Morgan 'should' be liable, but I have no idea how to get them to correct this issue and restore my money.
I'm hoping someone would know how I can use the TX_02_220913... code on the back of the check to get more information (it looks like this reads as TX: Texas and a date: 9/13/22 but I don't know if that is correct). The location and date in which the check was deposited has big ramifications re: who was in possession of the check at the time (e.g., was it still at Vanguard? or was it stolen from the mail?).