Consumer complaint received 2023-05-03
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem making or receiving payments

Complaint:
I fell victim to a job scam, instead of receiving help from my bank, Bank of America, they decided to close my accounts, and my husband 's account. We are unable to pay for our bills at the moment. 
Details : I was contacted by a recruiter on behalf of a company called XXXX XXXX, mintus.chat, based in the XXXX. I went through the recruiting the process and was hired last XXXX XXXX XXXX 
Job Title : XXXX XXXX XXXX The job required opening multiple cryptocurrency accounts with Exchanges in the US to try the platforms in order to better assist customers with their operations. 
The exchanges would be linked to the XXXX chat app where customers would be connected. 
The first month was supposed to be a paid training : In order to use the platform the company through my manager, XXXX XXXX, would send me funds to do operations then report how the operations went. Then I had to sent the cash to their BTC account. 

I checked that the company actually exists, and no money was asked from me during the process, so I did not think it was a scam. The first operation on XX/XX/ was a bank transfer. I was asked to withdraw XXXX dollars cash to deposit in a bitcoin ATM. The transfer to their digital wallet was successful. The second wire transfer came the next day for XXXX Dollars. This time my manager requested that I used XXXX and XXXX XXXX. I had difficulty using the apps because my card kept being declined. XXXX, my manager then asked me to withdraw the amount cash from a branch, then do the same operation as the day before. 

At my Bank of America branch the teller told me that my account was flagged for a fraud alert. My account was frozen for my protection as stated by the bank as they were investigating the situation.

I contacted the manager immediately to figure out to get the issue resolved. She promised that she will contact the investors, and that there were no problems with the wires I received. 

For a week, the manager kept in touch through XXXX, asking about the situation. The bank refused to communicate with me. As soon as I sent the job contract and the documents justifying the transactions, Bank of America froze all my bank accounts and my husband 's account as well. Bank of America justified the closure due to crypto operations and that they switched to a no crypto currency. 

The XXXXs manager, stopped communicating as soon I informed her of the frozen accounts situation. By then, I was left with the conclusion that either XXXX XXXX XXXX, or the person who initiated the wires is a scam. 

Bank of America locked me out of my accounts, which put me in a difficult situation at the beginning of XXXX since I use my account to pay my bills. 

After a month of work, I did not receive any compensation for my work from XXXX XXXX, and I am yet to know about the outcome of the aforementioned wires. 

I have the job contract, the email communication with the recruiter and the XXXX company with their official email, as well the entire XXXX communication with the manager via XXXX. 

Any help will be appreciated. 

Thank you, XXXX XXXX

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