Consumer complaint received 2020-03-21
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: LA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, my Chase bank cards and cell phone were stolen. I immediately called Chase bank at XXXX XXXX   eastern time and informed them of the theft, that all activity on my accounts should be frozen, and that my debit card was also tied to my phone through XXXX XXXX. The phone rep noted no suspicious transactions yet, but that someone had attempted to access my online banking and assured me they would take the proper precautions to secure the accounts from fraudulent activity and protect my assets. I then contacted the police to file a report. 

Upon the insistence of a friend, I followed up that evening with customer service to discover my checking balance was incorrect because thieves had been accessing my accounts all day, transferring funds from my savings accounts with my phone, and withdrawing the money and making purchase transactions of over {$5600.00}. I demanded for a second time that my account activity be frozen and informed Chase that these were not authorized transactions. ( I also learned later from the claims dept that Chase had contacted the person or persons who were in possession of my stolen phone and asked for verification of the fraudulent transactions that had been flagged! The thieves, of course, approved the transactions. ) The next day, XX/XX/XXXX, I filed claims at the XXXX XXXX branch in XXXX XXXX with rep XXXX XXXX. She advised I follow up with the Claims Department in a few days to check on the status. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I followed up with the claims department. They had no record of my claim with Ms XXXX, even though I sat with her for over 2 hours at her desk, and listening to her speak to the Claims Department. I filed a report with Claims again over the telephone. They informed me there would be multiple claims for the atm, the unauthorized phone transfers, and the debit transactions that occurred at XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Chase informing me that they were debiting my account for the atm transactions on the XXXX totaling {$840.00}. They did not agree that the transactions were unauthorized even though I contacted them XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, before the transactions happened. Chase is also  claiming that some of the transactions were " authorized '' by me, because the thieves supposedly used a PIN. ( If a PIN was indeed used by the thieves, I have no idea of how they obtained it. ) Chase also claimed I did not dispute a XXXX transaction, which is untrue, and I have records on which I highlighted the transactions and provided to Ms XXXX on the 2nd. This dispute was also read to the claims department over the phone on the 4th from the same piece of paper. Chase has also accused me of lying about my phone being stolen, and insist that I am using the same cell phone ; this is also untrue. I have receipts for my new phone, and activation receipts as well to prove this. It is backed up with XXXX through their XXXX   services. It is a white XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX. My stolen phone was a XXXX XXXX  XXXX ( not XXXX  ). I have attached receipts for both phones. 

Claims informed me they wouldnt change their decision without new information, so I supplied these phone receipts to Ms XXXX on the XXXX, and she forwarded them to Claims. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I went to the XXXX XXXX branch and met banker XXXX XXXX to request information regarding how they came to their decision. He handed me the letter I received on the XXXX, but there was no additional evidence or proof of any investigation material. I supplied him with a copy of the police report and documentation I had provided to Ms XXXX regarding the disputed XXXX transaction, which Claims denies I ever contested. He made copies and wrote his own complaint to Claims. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter for a temporary credit {$4800.00}. I received a credit in my checking account on the afternoon of XX/XX/XXXX about XXXX XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received an online alert from Chase that my account was in the negative. Chase had debited the account {$840.00} even though they had previously informed me they would accept new information. I made a visit to Mr. XXXX that day, and he asked me to notify him if I get any letters from Chase concerning the {$4800.00}. This morning, XX/XX/2020, I received an online letter but could not open it through the online banking app because my stolen checking account was closed. I called Claims and they informed me they are debiting {$4800.00}. 

The actions taken by Chase are a clear violation of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act. I am not liable for any fraudulent activity after my XX/XX/XXXX XXXX Eastern time phone call to Chase reporting the theft and requesting that all accounts be frozen. I was a customer of Chase for 10 years, with an annual balance of over {$10000.00} and a mortgage over {$180000.00}. I ask the CFPB to please inform Chase of their violations and facilitate the return of the funds. Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief