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2009-04-09 05:30:17
By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Writer John Rogers, Associated Press Writer
Wed Apr 8, 9:22 pm ET
LOS ANGELES As she walked from a post office, Talon Curtis thought she'd
found one of those gimmicky sweepstakes offers on the ground that scream
something like "$357,959.55" in big bold letters and "This is not a real check"
in much smaller type. But just as she was about to do her part for a cleaner
planet and deliver the paper from the parking lot to a trash can, she noticed
it was a real cashier's check with a real signature.
"I couldn't believe it. I almost passed out," Curtis, who works as a loan
negotiator, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I have never seen a check
that big. Not in my possession, anyway."
She immediately set out to find its rightful recipient, but it was Saturday
afternoon and the banks were closing. On Monday, with help from KCAL-TV
reporter Dave Malkoff, she located the check's owner, who had arrived at her
bank in a panic.
"I think she had walked in at the same time the bank manager called me back,"
Curtis said. "I could hear her walking up to him. and I could hear all this
commotion in the background."
Curtis said she spoke briefly with the woman on the phone about a possible
meeting, but Pacific Mercantile Bank instructed her to mail the check to them
instead.
Not willing to take a chance on the mail, Curtis delivered it personally. A
bank employee confirmed it had arrived.
Curtis said she never thought of keeping the check for herself, and she
declined the woman's offer of a reward. Still, she's just a little
disappointed.
"I just wanted to see her face," Curtis said, laughing. "I just wanted to let
her know that there are honest people left in this world."