Consumer complaint received 2018-06-15
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I visited Bank of Americas financial center located at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX ( XXXX - XXXX ) to purchase a {$200000.00} cashier 's check with cash. The source of these funds was my remaining home equity after my home was foreclosed and sold at a trustee sale in 2015. 


I had a XXXX zipped BofA money bag containing two {$100000.00} cash bags from the Federal Reserve, sealed in clear tamper-evident XXXX  bags. Each {$100000.00} XXXX bag was filled with XXXX {$10000.00} straps of {$100.00} bills. The total value of the cash inside my zipped money bag was {$200000.00}. 

The teller who assisted me ( XXXX XXXX ) told me to a meet her at the banks private teller counter windows where the bank services and handles customers with high dollar amount transactions. I met her at that area where I handed her the XXXX  zipped BofA money bag with my cash. She took the bag and told me that she had to go count the money and walked away from the counter window. At that point as the teller walked away from the counter window and I no longer had a direct visual on my XXXX   money bag, I sat at the chairs available across the counter windows in that area. 
A couple of minutes later the teller returned to the counter and told me that there was only {$190000.00} inside the XXXX  zipped money bag. She had ripped open one of clear XXXX  bags and it was obvious that one of the XXXX {$10000.00} money straps was missing and there were only XXXX straps left. She never run any of the cash through the large multi-pocket counting machine located directly across the private counter windows and in the customers direct viewing area. Yet she told me that there was only {$190000.00} in the bag without ever counting a single bill. 

The night prior to my branch visit, l had examined the contents of the XXXX BofA zipper money bag. Both XXXX bags were intact and sealed closed. There were XXXX {$10000.00} straps in each XXXX bag, for a total count of XXXX {$10000.00} straps. ( XXXX x $ XXXX= {$200000.00} ). There was no doubt in my mind that the teller had removed and stolen the missing {$10000.00} strap. I accused her directly of stealing the missing {$10000.00} strap and demanded to speak to the branch manager. 

The branch manager XXXX XXXX XXXX, who should have been present from the moment I handed my money bag to the teller, to oversee his tellers count and to ensure that there are no discrepancies ( standard banking protocol for high dollar amount transactions ) finally arrived at the private counter windows. I told him that when I handed my money bag to his teller, it contained {$200000.00} in cash strapped, wrapped and sealed by the Federal Reserve. When his teller walked away to allegedly count the money, she tore one of the XXXX bags open, took out the missing {$10000.00} strap, and returned to the counter window claiming that there was only {$190000.00} cash inside the bag. I further asked him to playback the recorded video of the incident captured by the banks video surveillance cameras, as it would confirm that his teller was lying and was responsible for the missing {$10000.00}  strap. He told me that he could not review the video, because he did not have access to the video surveillance footage, as it handled by a third-party company. He told me that in order to verify what had actually transpired, he would have to submit a request for the recorded video surveillance footage to BofAs corporate security office. He further added that customers are never given access to the video surveillance footage unless they request it with a subpoena. He was being uncooperative, dismissive, reluctant to take any action to resolve the situation and was trying to rush me out of the bank. I called XXXX and asked that an officer get dispatched to the branch to take down a crime report. 
Only when the Officers XXXX ( # XXXX ) and XXXX ( # XXXX ) of the XXXX XXXX Police Department arrived at the scene did the branch manager report the incident to BofAs corporate security office and requested that an investigator review the video surveillance footage of the incident. He told me that this process could take several days, but he should have an update within 24 hours and that he would follow up with me with a phone call. The two Officers from the XXXX XXXX Police Department informed me that their body cameras had captured my conversation with the branch manager XXXX XXXX XXXX and a recorded video of everything that had transpired in their presence would be available under Incident No : XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX then asked me if I wanted a cashiers check for {$190000.00}. I agreed. The two officers then departed the scene and I returned to the private counter windows for the cashiers check. This time a different teller properly counted the money by running it through the multi-pocket counting machine in the presence of the branch manager XXXX XXXX, and by making sure that I had a direct constant visual of all his actions and of the entire count. Once the count was verified and I received a cashiers check for {$190000.00} and left the branch. 

To this date, I have not received any phone call or any communication from Bank of America whatsoever. On XX/XX/XXXX, I was able to reach Bank of Americas investigator assigned to this case, XXXX XXXX. Even though she provided me with the case number assigned to her investigation XXXX, she had no other information or update. She did not provide me with her contact information because she did not want to be inconvenienced by my constant phone calls. She told me that she would call me once she reviewed the case. I never heard back from XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I went back to XXXX XXXX branch to get an update from the branch XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. He told that he could not provide me with any information regarding this incident and told me to call to the investigator for an update. When I asked him for XXXX XXXX contact number, he refused to provide me with her number and told me I will let her know that you are trying to reach her

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