Consumer complaint received 2019-03-31
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NJ
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 Bank of America checking account was comprised and 3 fraudulent charges were made over the holiday period of 2018.

The bank temporarily refunded the fraudulent charges as well as granting a {$100.00} hardship temporary loan.

Following several weeks after the claim had been filed, the bank withdrew all the funds, including the fraudulent charges stating the activity in question was valid and posted correctly to my account. 
I am an elderly person ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) who does not drive and live nowhere near where these fraudulent charges were made. I am on a fixed income and have faced extreme hardship due to not only the criminals who originally stole my money, but also the BofA who has put me through a tremendous amount of stress. 
Bank of America has essentially criminalized me and forced me to prove that the fraud is not mine. Shouldnt the bank be doing the investigating? 
I have made countless attempts to communicate and escalate my case with the bank, without success. Whenever I am able to reach a person at BofA, that person is unable to provide any information and is basically reading me a scripted response. There is no escalation procedure, no management, no supervisors and the people I am able to speak to are unable to provide any answers and refuse to escalate to a superior. 

Below are the dates and details of the events : XXXX - 3 Fraudulent charges made at XXXX. 2 charges made at XXXX in XXXX XXXX, NJ for {$250.00}. 1 charge made at XXXX in XXXX, NJ for {$260.00}. Total amount of fraudulent charges made to my checking account = {$760.00} XXXX - Fraudulent charges posted to my account. 
I place a phone call ( with the help of my daughter on a conference call ) to BofA to report the XXXX fraudulent charges. 
A claim is opened and {$100.00} hardship loan is deposited to my checking account. 

XXXX - 3 fraudulent charges ( totaling {$760.00} ) redeposited to my checking account. 

XXXX - Letter issued by BofA stating case has been resolved and determined that the fraudulent transactions were valid and posted correctly and the funds would be withdrawn from my checking account. 

XXXX - Above mentioned letter received and phone call made to BofA to dispute the decision and reopen the case since the 3 charges were, in fact, fraudulent and not made by me. Documentation is requested by me from the bank as to how the determination was made - no documentation has ever been provided. 

XXXX - Funds withdrawn from my checking account in the amount of {$860.00} ( XXXX fraudulent charges + {$100.00} hardship loan ). 

XXXX - Called bank to reopen the case Agent confirmed that case would be reopened and the the case was originally closed due to other non - fraudulent charges had been included in the evaluation of the case. 
Agent put an escalation on the case and stated that a response would be received within 2-3 days. This was not true. 

XXXX - Several more calls and Tweets made to BofA requesting an update with no resolution. No possibility of escalation. No managers or supervisors ever available to discuss the case. 
XXXX XXXX - In person visit made to BofA branch on XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX in order to escalate and resolve the case. 
Bank representative phones the Claims dept and further written documentation is requested by the bank. Representative in the branch is unable to reach a manager or supervisor. 

XXXX - Letter containing further documentation ( proof of me not making the fraudulent charges ) is faxed to the Claims dept by the BofA branch on XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX attached XXXX. Follow up phone call is made by branch representative confirmation fax receipt by Claims dept. 

XXXX - Present Day - No further details received from BofA regarding my case. 
More XXXX activity and phones calls from agents who again, are unable to provide any information or escalate my claim.

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