Consumer complaint received 2023-04-07
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
While visiting Bank of America XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  ) I was discriminated against and required to give multiple forms of verification while trying to withdraw my cash. I usually lock my bank card due to me not using the card often. This requires me to show a second form of identification when trying to access my account. Which I showed the teller. After I showed her 2 forms she requested that I give her my ID and Debit card. After I did this she continued to seemingly make assumptions that this account was not mine. She requested that I give her a bank card with my name on it that was from a different bank. I offered her 2 card which she ultimately decided not to take after requesting and displaying them to her. She may have not been expecting me to have these on hand due to her assumptions of me. After this she asked me if I knew the phone number on the account and had access to the phone number which I did. She asked me to verify my account through the phone number which I told her the phone number. This began to start getting very confusing. She initially requested two forms for verification but she seems to be adamant that I am not giving her valid information. I questioned why she needed to verify more information but I continued to do as she asked. Once I verified my number she ask me to send a link to my phone, this was another form of verification she stated. I questioned this and ultimately denied her request to send me a link to my online banking, however she sent it anyway thinking I wouldnt get a notification to the phone I had on hand. After she sends me a message to verify my online banking before I can confirm that I want to use this method when message and data rates may apply. Upon receiving the message I followed the steps to verify my account AGAIN via online banking. She still seemed to not want to accept that this account belonged to me. This became about the 5th form of verification. Once she can no longer ask for any more information to verify me she begins to place {$2000.00} in cash in the money counter. This seemed to be indicating that she was ready to release my funds to me. However, after the money goes through the money counter she request manager assistance. Im not sure why. The XXXX then comes over and request more identification from me. After he verified my identity he then starts to scroll through my account and make gestures as if there was a problem. I question him asking if there was a problem. He responded hes doing his own investigation. This began to cause a lot of embarrassment for me. I waited in line for over XXXX minutes with no one having to go through what I went through. The XXXX continued to look through my account for another 5-10 minutes and when I ask him again if there was any problems he responds, hes doing his job, if I dont like it I can leave. I was baffled by the hostility in his voice from me questioning him about my account. After he became agitated he decided to take my debit card and ID, he told me to sit down in the waiting area and wait for him to do his verification. I refused to sit due to him holding my ID and debit card which he responded asking me to leave if I wasnt going to sit. I then start to head towards a seat in order to avoid any more problems because all I want is to withdrawal my money. He takes my cards to a back table where he has a computer and begins scrolling through my account again. After another 5 minutes I become concerned with whats going on. I walk back up to the teller counter where he tells me that now I can no longer be served because I came back up to the counter. He threatened to call the police on me for no reason. He thought this would be a tactic that would fear me. I decided to sit and wait for police so I could make a report but he never called them. It was another discriminatory tactic he was using to try and scare me as if I was committing some sort of crime trying to withdraw my funds. Eventually I ended up leaving the bank and a few days later my account was placed on freeze and now I still have no access to my funds.

This whole situation was a discriminatory situation from the beginning. I am a young male who may not look like someone who they serve everyday but I should be treated with the same respect as my counterparts. We all trust our money with the bank. However, when I am discriminated against while trying to retrieve my own funds it become very scary to live in my own skin. After this incident my account was placed on a temporary closure which is still ongoing. I have been unable to access my funds now for a week. This all stemmed from a teller and a manager who seemed to raise there own concerns about me after they didnt seem to approve of my appearance and request for withdraw of so much cash.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief