Consumer complaint received 2023-10-31
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: PA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
I have banked with Truist Bank for some years with very little issue. I had lost my debit card around the beginning of XXXX, and while my replacement card arrived, I was issued a temporary debit card. During this period, this is where all of my issues began. My temporary card would be frozen nearly after every purchase for suspected fraudulent activity, even as I am on the phone with the fraud prevention team approving the transactions. As the issues continue, I enter a branch in order to resolve the issue and it turns out there was a debit hold on my account. After re-verifying my transactions again after a multitude of times, I finally have success using my debit card. The next day, I enter the branch in order to conduct a regular domestic wire transfer from my account, and I was informed that I could not complete that transaction until the pending deposit on my account had posted. The following day I retry submitting a wire from my account, and I learned from the banker that my checking account is now put on an account hold pertaining to a deposit I had made to the account. I inform the banker the only deposits I make into my account are the regular deposits I make from my cash app and XXXXXXXX XXXX  balances or transfers from my other bank accounts I have consistently made over the past years I have owned a checking account through Truist. She contacts the analyst that is directly involved in my case and inquires as to why my account had been put on an account. We learn from the analyst that the deposits in question had been flagged as fraudulent checks. I had been taken back because, I had never in my life deposited a check into my checking account. When the banker informed me of the amounts of the check and their total, I realized that the items in question were four deposits of money orders I had purchased from USPS a week prior. I immediately informed the banker and the analyst that the " checks '' that the system has flagged as suspicious were indeed payments directly from myself purchased through debit ( the only method to obtain money orders from USPS is cash or debit ) from my own debit card. I showed the transactional evidence from my cellphone showing the exact amounts and locations I had purchased these money orders from. I had been told that If the information I provide is correct, I should receive access back to my own money as soon as possible. Since my account had been put on hold, I have only received mixed messages and misinformation as to the date and time I should receive the disbursement of my funds. It has been a month now, I have received no communication, no email, no letter, and no option for discourse for access back to my own money. The investigation XXXX of Truist Bank has neglected to look into my case and has arbitrarily withheld my own funds to me over the notion to recover funds in case of fraud, but has failed to distinguish between a money order deposit and a check over the course of a month and has costed me the ability to pay rent, purchase food, or continue to produce a living for myself.

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