Consumer complaint received 2023-05-03
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: NC
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am writing to file a complaint against Chase Bank Credit Card for their unsupportive and unfair treatment following a recent scam incident that I fell victim to. 

Last Monday, I was deceived by a scammer claiming to be an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX if I did not pay for an " XXXX XXXX XXXX  and a " XXXX Embassy Bond '' to assist in their investigation. This fake case involved my passport being linked to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. An accomplice posed as a local police officer, corroborating the story. They frightened me into purchasing gift cards as payment for these " bonds, '' which they claimed would be refunded after I was proven innocent. 

The scammer informed me that I was not allowed to use any online payment methods due to the ongoing investigation and insisted that gift cards were the only acceptable form of payment. While it seems far-fetched now, their contact numbers appeared to be from a XXXX XXXX XXXX and a local police station, and I had traveled to XXXX and XXXX the US through XXXX last year, so I trusted them. They also coerced me into not communicating with anyone or using the internet. 

As a result, I purchased a total of {$11000.00} in gift cards using my Chase, XXXX, and XXXX XXXX cards. I provided the gift card information to the scammers as instructed. The following day, I realized I had been scammed and reported the incident to the police, XXXX, and my banks. XXXX refunded me {$2000.00}, and XXXX XXXX initiated an investigation into the matter. 

However, Chase initially informed me that I was responsible for the debt since I had authorized the transactions. Although I was unhappy with this, I agreed to pay the balance. The next day, a representative from Chase 's security department contacted me, asking questions about my interaction with the scammers. Afterward, they informed me that my account had been closed and that I could request a review for reinstatement within six months. 

I was shocked and requested to speak with a supervisor to understand the situation. The supervisor reiterated that they could close any account for any reason and confirmed that my account closure was permanent. This decision seemed unreasonable, as I had only been a victim of a scam and had planned to pay the outstanding balance myself. 

The closure of my Chase account has made my life even more difficult, as I have billing accounts linked to it. I have always been a responsible cardholder, with no history of late payments. In this scam, I felt that Chase was not on my side and was instead siding with the scammers. They could have warned me about the potential scam when I made 13 consecutive {$500.00} gift card purchases, which is out of character for me based on my credit card history. 

While I understand that it was not their obligation to caution me, their knowledge about scams could have helped me avoid this situation. The most disheartening part is that when I was at my lowest, my bank worsened my situation by closing my account permanently for an unjustifiable reason. 

The most ridiculous part about this whole ordeal is that, even after my account was closed, I continued to receive all sorts of promotional emails from Chase. These promotions included referral bonuses, offers for other products, and auto loan promotions. It's absurd that while the bank deemed me unfit to maintain a basic account, I was still considered a viable candidate for these additional services. This inconsistency only adds to my disappointment and further erodes my trust in Chase. The fact that they closed my account without providing a reasonable explanation, and then proceeded to send me promotional emails, made an already painful situation even worse. 

I am seeking your assistance in addressing this issue and holding Chase accountable for their unfair treatment of a loyal customer who fell victim to a scam. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation