Fee/Tax imposed to clear a check in UK

Hi,
I couldn't find any postings on this so have to start a new one. I want to pose this to people in the UK. Is anyone aware of banks in your country that charge a fee or tax that is a percentage of a check amount you are depositing into your account? This is a large sum in the millions dollar range and is a check that obviously needs to be cleared. The bank is supposedly imposing a 1% fee or tax in order for the check to be cleared, and apparently cannot be deducted from the check upon its clearance. I think the bank named was RBC? Not sure. Although it is a result of a business transaction and issued by the company, it is written to an individual and not a business, so it will be going into a personal and not business account.
Also, what personnel or department should I contact at a bank to inquire about this?
I just want to verify if there's any truth to this so I can either dispute or corroborate this claim.
Thank you!

If you are being asked to pay the fee prior to the bank clearing the cheque,, without knowing how you obtained the cheque, I am of the opinion it is a scam.

The cheque will be fake or non-existent to start with. Have you seen it? Or is this all being done by email?

It's a long story going on for almost a year now, but it's basically someone I'm associated with who had a business deal and finally picked up the check from the company. They now have run into this issue at the bank that I described. I want to know if there's truth to that because I have substantial money tied to that. Short of personally flying over there and walking into the bank with them, I just want to see if anyone can save me the time I cannot afford to take off and money to take that kind of action. I am planning to call several banks, esp. that operate internationally but I really am not familiar with how differently the UK works or if there willing to assist with someone who is not personally coming into the bank to inquire about this specific of a situation.

Any bank would deduct the handling fee from the amount before depositing it into an account.

From what you have written, this sounds like a standard scam. Do you personally know these people, as in, are they personally known to you, or people you have been dealing with on the internet by email only?

If you have been sending money to a Barrister, Lawyer, or some other designated person, by Western Union, this is a scam.

This is sounding a whole lot like a typical scam. This is an especially common tactic in romance scams, in which the scammer tells the victim that he finally received payment for his work/contract, but then he needs her to send money so that he can deposit it and then come to see her.

Banks do not charge up front fees to cash checks. If there are fees, they would take them from the balance of the check. Even check cashing places, which can charge exorbitant fees, simply take the money from the check they are cashing.

If it was the RBC Bank, there are 2 possibles, one in the USA, and one in Canada

http://www.rbcbankusa.com/ America

http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/ Canada

Neither of which have branches in the United Kingdom.

If however, it was the RBS Bank, which scammers use as it sounds good, the Royal Bank Of Scotland

http://www.rbs.co.uk/ Their website.

They do not charge upfront fees, rather they deduct from the amount paid out, or in the case you describe, they deduct any fees from the amount before depositing it.

So far you have in general terms described a standard scam. Please give us more details of what business/contract you are involved in with this person.

This is sheer baloney. UK banks don't charge to get your money, they are glad to have it. I have heard of no tax either. If there was it would have been charged on my monthly salary. They get enough while the dosh is in transit from one account to the next. SCAM !

Thank you so much. I already figured everyone would say that, but I really just needed to hear it from the horse's mouth (ie, someone who actually lives in the UK and familar with the practices). I know the US doesn't work that way, and I had also voiced that didn't make sense at all. Then no one but the rich would ever be able to even open an account because they'll need to have extra money laying around just to deposit a check, which may be the only money they have at the time?
However, this is not a small amount and was supposed to be from a major business transaction. So I wanted to be sure if there wasn't some special circumstance where that sort of thing would apply. Unfortunately I don't understand business and esp. in another country. Maybe people who do business in the UK may be able to respond? But also, even let's say the bank did charge something, at least I wouldn't think it would be a Percentage of your check! Just a flat fee right? And even if the check is in the millions, that fee would be really small if it's small, I don't know. Otherwise, wouldn't that be like some kind of commission on your money? Also pertaining to the UK, are taxes already deducted either from the buyer's side when they issued the check (meaning you get the payment minus all taxes, etc), or when you file taxes at the end of the year on your profit? This is how US does it, but not sure about UK.
I won't be footing a dime for this anyways, be rest assured (plus I got nothing left). I just really needed some confirmation before I lay claim that this is unfounded and can refute that without any doubt or question.

I just really needed some confirmation before I lay claim that this is unfounded and can refute that without any doubt or question.

Obviously you are still in contact with this scammer. He is still playing you. You need to drop him completely. Do not answer him. Do not confront him on his lies, do not attempt to make him confess.

It's very common to want to confront the scammer, and get him to confess. You want him to admit the truth, understand how much he hurt you, and maybe feel some guilt about it. It's not going to happen. He is a liar and a thief. He is nothing like the character he plays. He is a young man who makes a living through lies and manipulation, and he has no conscience. Again I hate to be blunt, but it is necessary to be honest. To him, you are a maga--a foolish woman who was meant to be manipulated so that he can get just a little more money. He will say and do anything necessary to get more money from you, and he doesn't care how much he hurts you in the process. You could be evicted from your home, forced to live on the street, even seriously ill and unable to afford treatment, and if he thought he could take more from you, he would not hesitate to keep scamming. He will lie for so long and so many times, that you may begin to think he has to be telling the truth because you think nobody would lie for that long! And while he's declaring his love for you, he is likely buying stolen credit card info, passing off fake checks, and declaring his love for several other victims--all of whom mean about as much to him as you do. Scammers like him have literally driven victims to suicide, and they just keep on scamming!

He might even confess. He may tell you he really did fall in love with you, and now he feels guilty and wants to stop scamming. He may offer to pay you back. All lies. It's just another tactic that some scammers switch to. In the end, it's still about money--weeks or months down the road, the money requests will start again, this time because they are poor, starving, or will be forced to scam if you don't help them.

As long as you continue to communicate with him, he is winning. He will continue to lie and manipulate you as long as he thinks there is any chance to take more from you.

You will not be able to move on with your life as long as he is still in it.

Please read the information for victims in my signature line. You need to take action for yourself now, and start getting your life back on track. Block his him from your email (better yet, just get a new email address), and if he talks to you by phone, block him or change your number. Post his letters here to alert other victims, then move them out of sight where you can't dwell on them.