Consumer complaint received 2023-08-16
Company: Comerica
State: MI
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Government benefit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer
Sub-issue: Card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase or transfer

Complaint:
My credit card that I get my social security check sent to, issued by Comerica 's " Direct Express '' was used for fraudulent purchases from XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/2023 for a total amount of {$170.00}. ( DE Complaint # Tracking ID # XXXX ). I shut the card down immediately, but the hold times for Direct Express exceeded an hour and it took until XX/XX/XXXX to report the fraud. These are the transactions that were fraudulent : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  When I reported it, I was told a provisional credit would be issued, ( per law ) if I sent paperwork back within 10 days. I didn't receive the paperwork in the mail until XX/XX/XXXX, yet sent the paperwork priority mail to get it there within the 10 days allotted with USPS with a delivery confirmation showing the paperwork was received by them on the XXXX. Direct Express claimed that they didn't get the paperwork until the XXXX and fought me on the provisional credit. 

Worse, one operator with Direct Express stated that there was an email address where I could have sent the paperwork to, and that the fraud investigator should have given that to me so it would have been instantly received, instead I had to pay {$15.00} in priority mail to rush it to them. 

I made various complaints to their superiors and received a call from an investigator quickly issued the provisional credit allotted by law, claiming it was as a courtesy, even though my complaints contained the USPS proofs showing the paperwork was received in a timely manner. 

The investigator did a reversal of the charges stated above to XXXX, but at that time, XXXX claimed the charges were made by me, so Direct Express took the money right back out of my account, which again, its my social security money.

I made a complaint to the California Attorney Generals office against XXXX for criminally abetting the fraud done to steal social security funds, after contact with them showed that they would not trace the account or give me any access to the {$170.00} worth of products they claimed I purchased. I heard from a XXXX investigator within a day of that complaint, ( XXXX reference # XXXX ) and he stated that for sure, if Direct Express fraud investigation until would do a second reversal of those charges, it would be certain that XXXX would not deny the credit this time. 

However, after making three calls to them to make the request, I have encountered humiliating questions about my XXXX status and one VERY horrifyingly rude operator that seemed to purposely get my information wrong in an effort to stop me from being able to ask for the second reversal of these charges to be done. 

I had to call back, and have screenshots to provide proof that the hold times were over an hour just to make this requests. 

Then, this morning, Direct Express took ANOTHER {$1.00} out of my account as an adjustment!

Theyre just making it impossible to contact them, to get the second reversal done that XXXX investigator said would cure the issue for good, and now theyre stealing more money out of the account and I have no idea why! 

This has been work intensive to handle this and the core issue that Im XXXX makes it all the more heinous! How could any US government agency be allowed to target XXXX persons like that, because once they know you're XXXX, they know you can't afford legal counsel to sue them and they can simply treat you as inhumanely as they wish, it shouldn't be allowed. To be ASKED if Im XXXX by the rude Direct Express agent ( his name was XXXX XXXX then have him ridicule me with games to stop me from having this matter handled, having to call back twice and wait on hold for hours, after many many other calls equal to if not more than hours of hold times, its getting clear that Direct Express does not wish to efficiently handle what I believe has been made an easy resolution to the matter by XXXX  investigator stating plainly that the money would be refunded, IF I could get Direct Express to do their jobs. 

{$170.00} is the difference between me being able to pay for rent and food, I dont have a savings account to fall back on. It is now a month and a half of this work intensive process being forced upon a XXXX person by a bank Social Security insisted I deal with after they ended paper checks. 

Instead, I believe theyre violating my civil rights by targeting me, as a XXXX person that they claim they have the legal right to identify me as such, and playing games trying to get me to give up on the refund. 

However, I think that, in addition to what I strongly feel is civil rights ( ADA ) violating questions and behaviors, I also feel that they are abetting the theft of the funds stolen from my account by fighting me at every turn and making it impossible to resolve this situation. 

I would like them to reverse those charges again, and account for the funds theyre continuing to take out of my account in adjustments. 

Please investigate!

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief