Consumer complaint received 2023-10-27
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Prepaid card
Sub-product: Government benefit card
Issue: Unexpected or other fees

Complaint:
On XX/XX/23, I received a deposit from CA EDD, in the amount of {$3200.00}. On XX/XX/23, I received an additional deposit from CA EDD, in the amount of {$390.00}. Between XX/XX/23 through XX/XX/23, I completed 20 transactions, totaling {$2300.00}. On XX/XX/23, I attempted to make an in-store purchase when my Prepaid Bank of America ( EDD Card ), was declined for insufficient funds. I tried logging in to the Bank of America Prepaid website to view my transactional activity, however my attempts were denied for invalid username and/or password. I contacted the Bank of America : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and was notified that the email on my account had been changed from XXXX, to XXXX. My account email with my request and authorization, was corrected, resulting in the restoration of my online account. I logged in and a funds transfer in the amount of {$1300.00} had been processed, resulting with my account reflecting a {$0.00} balance. 

After reviewing my transaction statement, I calculated a total of {$1600.00} being stolen out of my account beginning on XX/XX/23, with the final XXXX transactions being stolen on XX/XX/23 ; four of which were online transactions to two random websites ( XXXX and XXXX ) and the other fraudulent transaction was the {$1300.00} fund transfer with the description reflecting : STATE OF CA EDD XXXX. On XX/XX/23, two claims were completed by the Representative on my behalf ; the first claim was for {$320.00} ; the other claim was for {$1300.00}. 

On XX/XX/23, I received a letter in the mail from the Dispute Resolution Service Department with Bank of America via USPS, stating that a claim for 14 fraudulent transactions was filed and received, and that a temporary credit to my account in the amount of {$320.00} which will post within two business days of XX/XX/23 was issued and that I would receive notification of their results once their investigation is complete. I never received those results. 

On XX/XX/23, I received a letter in the mail from the Dispute Resolution Service Department with Bank of America via USPS, stating that a claim for the {$1300.00} funds transfer was filed, received, resolved and ultimately denied. I followed the instructions on the letter and contacted the Dispute Resolution Service Department with Bank of America, to question why my claim for {$1300.00} was denied yet the claim for {$320.00} was acknowledged and approved, yet both fraudulent activities took place at the same time and some on the same days with all transactions coinciding with one another. I questioned how they could acknowledge one, and not the other and what basis were used to determine their decision. I received no answers but was notified that a request to re-evaluate my denied claim may be filed. 

On XX/XX/23, I filed the re-evaluation claim and also asked the Representative how a fund transfer of such a large amount is generally authorized and completed on an account. I was told that in order for a funds transfer to be approved, the account holder must contact Bank of America via phone, and personally request the transfer. The Representative had no call records indicating me calling to request such transfer, let alone any transfers at all, he could not disclose or verify any additional account numbers associated with my EDD Bank of America account, he could not verify the account these funds were transferred into, and acknowledged that it was suspicious that my email had been changed without my consent or prior knowledge. I asked the Representative what I could do, or what information I could provide to prove that I was not involved in the unauthorized use/transfer of the {$1300.00} from my EDD Bank of America bank account , and he advised for me to file a police report and to mail that report to PREPAID CARD OPERATIONS BANK OF AMERICA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and to fax a copy of that report along with my Driver 's License to ( XXXX ) XXXX. 

Due to the description of the funds transfer reflecting STATE OF CA EDD XXXX, I contacted EDD on XX/XX/23 to ask if it was possible for them to retract funds from my account once the funds had been issued. I was told by two separate EDD Representatives, that once funds are paid out onto an account, they can not be retracted ; they continued that it sounds like fraud was committed to my account as fraudulent activity is a constant issue with the UNEMPLOYMENT and XXXX Departments at EDD, and that I should deactivate my current debit card immediately, request a new debit card, and file a claim. I did what they advised me to do. 

On XX/XX/23, I filed a police report with the XXXX Police Department ( report # : XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and on the same day, I submitted all requested information per instructions, to the Prepaid Card Operations Department with Bank of America XXXX On XX/XX/23 I contacted Bank of America, and it was confirmed that they received the information I provided. On XX/XX/23, I received a letter in the mail via USPS once again, from the Dispute Resolution Services Department of Bank of America, stating the re-evaluation on my claim of {$1300.00} had been completed, and that the claim was again denied. The letter stated that they based their decision on the information I provided, my account history and other information available to them and that they determined their decision was indefinite and that I had the right to request the documents that they relied on to make this decision. 

On XX/XX/23 and again on XX/XX/23, I contacted Bank of America to request the documentation that was used to determine the denial on my claim and on XX/XX/23, I received a letter in my mail via USPS from the Dispute Resolutions Services Department of Bank of America dated XX/XX/23. This letter stated that they were providing me with the documentation they relied on to make their final decision which consisted of one page referencing six transactions ; four of those transactions were from the fraudulent websites that stole {$320.00} of my funds that Bank of America acknowledged as fraudulent activity resulting in them reimbursing me ; one transaction was of the fraudulent {$1300.00} funds transfer, and the final transaction was a true transaction that I actually made. 

Please note that on the Bank of America Prepaid website, when selecting the option ONE TIME TRANSFER, I am given a notification that reads : NO LINKED ACCOUNTS : YOU NEED TO LINK AN ACCOUNT TO MAKE A ONE-TIME TRANFER. TO LINK AN ACCOUNT, VISIT OUR WEBSITE; which further verifies that I never authorized or personally made a funds transfer at no time previously or currently. If I did, they would have records of all prior transfers and the accounts in which they were transferred into, listed and available for review.

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