A bank customer in American Samoa is suing the ANZ Bank for over 150 million US dollars in damages from what she claims are bad faith actions and misrepresentations made by the bank.
According to the lawsuit, Tapai Tervola says her late husband applied to have his mortgage refinanced and added her name to the application forms.
But Mrs Tervola says the bank has intentionally produced a counterfeit loan application without her name and then forged her husband's signature on to this application.
Mrs Tervola, who is the administrator of her late husband's estate, says she has the original application submitted by herself and her husband.
She also says a professional forensic analysis reveals her husband's signature was forged onto the application produced by the bank.
Through her attorney, Mrs Tervola is asking the court to issue a judgment of 50 million dollars and a further 100 million dollars in damages.
ANZ has declined to comment on the case.
