Consumer complaint received 2021-07-12
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: MD
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
My dispute is with Bank of America 's Fraud and investigations department. On XX/XX/XXXX I had a total of {$3000.00} stolen due to fraudulent use of my debit card. That morning I was trying to contact XXXX  customer support because I had recently returned an item but had not seen the funds in my account yet. So, I went on my XXXX account where I filed a request to have the XXXX customer support line contact me. I then received a call from the company that scammed me. The man who I was talking to who introduced himself as XXXX  customer support addressed my concern with a solution as to why I have not received my refund yet. He then directed me to download team viewer in which I did so in his words could direct me through more easily. I then had to go to XXXX where I was told to make an account. At this point I had to put in my information to make the account. At this point I perceived XXXX to be connected with XXXX  in the way that XXXX is. As an XXXX user you must create a XXXX account if you would like to start buying and selling. I thought this to be just another step because I had never returned anything to an XXXX  customer before. After I made this account, I was instructed to start putting in what I was told were codes ( when in reality they were amounts of money ). Each of the time that I was told to put in a code it related to things like the first three digits of my phone number, the amount of money I was supposed to get refunded, or codes that I was being texted from the scammer. On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I did receive a text message from Bank of America stating Did you use your debit card ending in XXXX at : XXXX XXXX, {$400.00}, Declined, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX , {$0.00}, Approved, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX # XXXX, {$8.00}, Approved, XX/XX/XXXX? If you recognize this activity, reply YES. If not reply NO. Stop to end texts. 

At this point I didnt realize I was making charges because the XXXX XXXX Limited was for {$0.00} and the other XXXX  charge was for the same amount of money that was supposed to be refunded to me by XXXX for the items I returned. Towards the end of my call with the scammer who claimed to be XXXX  customer support I was sent this message ; Dear XXXX Customer, XXXX has deposited funds of {$380.00} in your credit card ending with No. **** **** **** XXXX. Kindly follow the security process in order to verify your on our XXXX server. 

XXXX CASE CLOSING CODE : XXXX ( Transaction XXXX XXXX Call Back : XXXX ACCOUNT BALANCE WILL UPDATE ONCE THE CASE IS CLOSED. 

Regards, XXXX  Support. 

As you can see there is a case closing code of XXXX which I was told to enter. I didnt realize that I was actually making purchases until I had entered that code and it said that my payment was declined due to my account being over drafted. At that point I realized I had been actually purchasing crypto currency for the man I was on the phone with. After the call I tried to log into my bank account to see what all happened when I realized I had been locked out of my account because of something the scammer did. I then called Bank of America to have my account passwords reset, cancel my debit and credit card, and file a fraud claim. 

To my knowledge at the time I was not making purchases I was simply following the steps as directed by, who I thought, was XXXX customer support to get my refund. The number to the man I talked to is XXXX. To my knowledge the number is still active, and the scammer introduces himself as XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX The police report number is : XXXX Records XXXX Option XXXX This was a straight scam where the person I believed I was talking to was pretending to be XXXX customer support. I have been on countless phone calls with the bank trying to dispute this fraudulent activity to which the bank replies " you accepted the charges ''. My disputes with Bank of America is that, one there investigations department is not thoroughly investigating as the numbers I have provided are still active to which the line puts you through to the same man that scammed me. Also that they are stating that because I accepted one charge for the {$400.00} that all the other charges are approved as well. There was a total of 8 charges that totaled about {$5000.00} and I was locked out of my bank account. How were there not more red flags that went up? I approved one payment of {$400.00} to which I didn't even know I was approving a payment due to what the man on the phone was telling me. I have filed a police report to which I was told they could do nothing I have talked to the bank to which they have replied they can't help me.

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 monetary relief