Check mailed by company was delivered to the wrong house and was cashed at the bank by someone else, now neither party will tell me what to do - Throwaway account created for this. I [18] recently got a summer job with my university and I didn't create a bank account until less than a month ago. Since I didn't have a bank account, I couldn't set up a direct deposit with my job so I got my checks sent in the mail from the company. The checks take anywhere from 5-7 business days to arrive.


I received my first check and waited for my second check but it didn't arrive. I emailed HR after 7 business days and let them know I didn't receive my second check and they said they'd look into it. In the time they were investigating, my third check arrived. I emailed again to let them know my third check arrived and asked for an update. They got back to me and told me that my record indicated that my second check was already cashed and they asked me if I had a direct deposit. I told them I didn't and asked if that meant someone had already used my check and they said they'd continue looking into it. A week later they got back to me saying that my check was indeed cashed at a Wells Fargo bank and they sent me a photocopy of the check that was signed and used and a fraud claim that had the account number of the person who cashed the check. They told me they couldn't reissue the check but they said I could file a fraud claim since it wasn't me who used the check.


I reached out to them asking how to start the process and they didn't answer so I decided to call the bank directly and ask them how to start the process. The bank said that they can't do anything on their end because the check wasn't sent by them and it has no connection to my account. They said the process has to be through the company and the company should be the one to reissue the check. HR got back to me and said that the bank should help me with the fraud claim because it needs to be notarized but I sent them another email saying they couldn't help me. Now HR isn't answering and the bank said the same thing when I called again.


My question is where am I supposed to go from here? I was never educated on anything about finances or banks so I have no idea what to do. Is there really no way for me to get my money back because it doesn't seem like there's anything for me to do at this point if neither party says they can help me?