Consumer complaint received 2023-08-26
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Prepaid card
Sub-product: Government benefit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer
Sub-issue: Charged for a purchase or transfer you did not make with the card

Complaint:
In XXXX XXXX XXXX my card used to edd benefits was personally cut up by my self. I thought the pandemic relief was ending. I learned after that there was an extension but I was put in a process that required me to complete a IDMe verification before any payments were made. However I was to certify for benefits as normal while waiting for a email letting me know it was my turn to go through IDMe. I did certify like I was suppose to but never did receive a email.for IDMe. It took many months just to get ahold of the car edd. Once I did I was told that i did not need the IDMe process and that my benefits had already been paid. So I called bank of America to have a replacement card sent to me. I asked the balance and was told there was less than {$1.00} remaining. Completely taken back by this I asked how is it when eds has been paying me and I didn't even know. I never spent any of it. They told me I could not file a claim until I go into my online account to see transactions. I no longer had access to that account nor the email used for it. So that took even more time. Then they wanted a I'd taken into the branch and since mine was not valid I had to wait on a new one to come in the mail. I took it to the branch to verify who I was. Finally a claim was started and since there were over $ XXXX transactions it had to be filed in 2 claims. However the representative sent one part of the claim to the claims dept and one part to a different department. The part sent to the claims dept was approved for a little over {$5000.00}. The second part had to be located and repossessed to the claims dept l. This took over a month and that claim for a little over XXXX is repeatedly denied. I've ask for investigation to contact me personally but never do they. Many different Supervisors and representatives have placed noted on the account of the error of the two being separated. Showing the approval of the first part and asurring me that it would be taken care of and approved each time. I've asked.for information about the denials. All I get is a list of transcription and told I approved them. It's been nearly 2 years of reconciliation that are promised to end in my favor that don't. The fact that they allowed over {$16000.00} to be taken from my account is one thing. However the fact there was never a physical card to be used and not one red flag was put on my account for exsessive online transactions. Just seeing the transaction history prior should have put an alert for suspicious activity. Not once was the account locked up while these transactions where made. But once they granted the first part of the claim my card was locked every day almost for suspicious activity and I have to call and verify my identity to unlock it. Again not once during the deration of spending {$16000.00} online did they ever seen that necessary.. I'm overly frustrated being as I've lost a lot ..my place to live my car, my storage and it does not seem to be any fair resolution comming

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 explanation