I've been suspicious for a while now that banks manipulate the timing of deposits and debits on a checking account in order to game the system in favor of overdrafts and the subsequent fees. It wouldn't take much programming to install software to do this -- or even to track a customer's deposit and withdrawal habits.
But sometimes the crooks get caught.
Wells Fargo & Co. should pay about $203 million to customers who say the bank manipulated debit-card transactions without their knowledge to increase revenue from overdraft fees, a federal judge ruled....Wells Fargo changed the way it treated customers' daily debit transactions and cash withdrawals in December 2001, according to the lawsuit filed in 2007. Transactions with the highest dollar amount posted first, rather than in the order they occurred.
If corporations are people, shouldn't the punishment also include prison time? You know, for fraud (among other things)? In this case, a corporation would have to cease operations for a certain length of time. Seems fair, especially considering how that flight attendant guy might end up doing seven years for his too-awesome stunt the other day.