Consumer complaint received 2020-12-01
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
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:
the total amount of fraudulent charges in total equals {$1500.00}, I had been trying to get into contact with the Bank Of America XXXX for the past 2 months beginning the first week of XXXX. After checking the prepaid app and seeing a series of recurring charges in weekly and monthly fashion that I had not made. As I began to do a thorough research and investigation of my own I noticed a bevy of ATMXXXX withdrawals coming in increasing values along with debit e-commerce charges to various children store websites. I have no children and am not planning on having any. In total I have called the Bank Of America XXXX claims department 28 times in total since the beginning of XXXX. 

When I reached the dispatcher personnel who would transfer me over to wait in the queue for the claims department they told me instead of waiting I could just submit a claim to their " govandcorps '' bank of america email address. Beginning XX/XX/20 I submitted emails with highlighted and detailed illustrating which charges were and were not me, with screenshots to match with annotations. I was relieved but quickly let down because upon doing so, I was answered with a generic email blast stating that " due to security purposes '' they would not be able to handle my claim. Instead, directing me back to the same phone number I had received no response from. Meanwhile the funds I was being paid on the prepaid account continued to be stolen by whatever online theft individual had my information. 

My final email to " XXXX '' was sent XXXX. I finally was able to get through to the Bank Of America XXXX Claims/Fraud Department on XX/XX/XXXX. The claims specialist, and the system itself can see how many times you have called on their computers. Each withdrawal from my account from XXXX was not made by me. With a fraudulent transaction on XX/XX/20 in the amount of {$200.00} and a separate charge in the amount of {$5.00} being done while I was on the phone waiting to be connected to the fraud department. I was relieved to finally submit a claim filing all the grievances that had been made to my account. When I followed up with the Bank Of America XXXX claims department on XX/XX/20 they told me that there was no activity/progress made on my claim, and that in 10 business days if no progress was made a temporary credit would be given to the account. 

Now today is XX/XX/20, and I received a letter in the mail claiming they could not distinguish whether the account or claim was fraud so they have chosen to deny my claim and not reimburse me the money that I have not made charges on in good conscience. A bit peculiar that when I call to follow up in 2 days they decide to deny my claim but the previous 10 days prior to movement has been made. I have made countless calls on their phone banking service, each time waiting in 3 hour period increments only to be patched to a voicemail claiming to be " full '' and then hung up on immediately after that. This is absolutely unacceptable, and unprofessional, and I am downright frustrated. However, there is no system in their prepaid system to dispute the claim decision so here I am. They closed my card, suspended my card, and the fraud still continued to take place. Now here I am with none of my money and a new card with no value to it. 

In total I have made 32 phone calls, sent 26 emails, and received {$0.00} in reimbursement to charges I did not commit. I was under the impression the claims department of banks were here to err on the side of the account holder in situations where you can not find " definitive '' evidence to support either side. I was sorely mistaken, and am totally frustrated.

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