Consumer complaint received 2020-09-23
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: GA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
Hello, I had an account with the American Bank and they closed it for the reason of Fraud. That is what is written on the XXXX XXXX XXXX report ( report is attached ). Now I am not sure what fraud have I done and by reading the following story you will understand this as well. 

Due to the pandemic i was laid off from my job in XXXX, so applied for assistant-ship. Thanks to refugee settlement program, they sent us a check of XXXX dollars. We didn't receive the check for several days so we called them and they said that it has probably lost so they sent us another check. We received the check and my husband ( XXXX and at home, can not speak English at all ) entered it into our account but it bounced. The date of this transaction was XXXX. Account and checks entering dates to the accounts are attached. 

So we thought that it probably has something with the agency that they have blocked the check and we called them again. They said probably we have entered the first blocked check and wait for a few days to receive the other one and enter that to the bank account. So we waited for few days and we received another check. This bounced as well. So we called the agency that both checks bounced and they are not working. They told us that they will investigate and call us back.. 

After few days we got letter from the bank that our account has been closed. We went to the bank to ask for the reason and they didn't tell us anything but directed us to the XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

We called reporting services and send emails through the XXXX XXXX portal ( all information and proof is available ) and they didn't respond at all to our question, except they sent us the report from the bank and that's all. Emails to the early warning service are available. 

Upon calling the bank to check with them what is the issue, they said that it was a business decision that they closed my account. I told them, fine but why is this decision is showing different on the early warning services and as a " Fraud ''. They said they can not do anything to that service and that we have to talk to the reporting service our-self. 

I am a mother of XXXX with a XXXX  husband at home. I work in a factory and all my life depends on this account. I always try to be on top of my financial transactions as i know that it affects my credit and my life. It exactly happen like that, with bouncing a check how can my account be flagged as fraud. 

Due to this issue now i can not open an account in any institution and upon investigation i have been told that this report will last for at least 5 years and that i won't be able to open an account for the duration of that time. 

Tax season is upon us and i need to have an account to file my taxes. I need help as i have been everywhere and no one is helping me at all. I hope that I will be given a fair chance to prove myself and my transactions. 

Regards, 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 non-monetary relief