Consumer complaint received 2022-11-01
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: NC
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
On the weekend of XXXX XXXX XXXX, we were victims of fraudulent charges. The issue started with an email stating that my computer had been breached. I unfortunately, called the number on the email. The person I spoke to claimed he was with XXXX. He asked to remotely sign on to my computer to correct the problems. During this time, I noted that there had been fraudulent charges for purchase of bit coin from called XXXX XXXX through bank accounts we held at both XXXX XXXX and Fifth Third Bank. The person who was supposedly from XXXX, indicated that he could reverse those charges, which it appeared he was doing when I checked our accounts at both banks on-line. He also, said we had to let the charges go through in order for him to reverse them. Ultimately, I recognized that what this individual was telling me didn't seem to make sense. At that point, I blocked his phone number and notified the fraud departments at both XXXX XXXX and Fifth Third Bank that the charges were fraudulent. We ended up having to close our accounts at XXXX XXXX and open new ones. The reason we had opened the accounts at Fifth Third Bank was that at the time my husband was working part-time at XXXX University and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX WV, and there were no XXXX XXXX banking locations in the local vicinity of XXXX. Anyway, my husband discontinued working in XXXX in XXXX of 2022, so rather than close and reopen the accounts at Fifth Third Bank, we elected to close the accounts. At the time we closed the Fifth Third accounts, we thought our claim had been settled. However, we subsequently received a letter from Fifth Third Bank dated XX/XX/2022, that indicated 'Our research confirms that the transaction was valid. ' We subsequently spoke to the fraud department to contest their decision. We were told that I had supposedly confirmed the purchases in response to a text message from XXXX XXXX that was sent on XX/XX/2022 at XXXX XXXX I however, never received that text message, nor would I have approved such a purchase. Interestingly, when I've spoken to someone in the fraud since that time I was told that the supposed confirmation of the purchase was in an email that did not come from my email address. In addition, the individual admitted that the purshases were not consistent with out prior activity. We have since filed a dispute with Fifth Third Bank and have requested proof of their claim that we approved the purchase, however we have only received additional letters stating their research confirms that the transaction was valid. We have never received any other communications from the bank or its fraud department other than multiple letters that all state the same thing. In addition, we have since been referred to a collection agency. There has been no transparency in regards their denial of our claim that the charges were indeed fraudulent.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation