Consumer complaint received 2021-01-29
Company: HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK, THE
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
I called my bank, Huntington National Bank of Ohio, on XX/XX/XXXX to resolve a fraudulent check. Someone stole a check, # XXXX, to my landlord in XX/XX/XXXX, for {$1000.00} for my rental check. Someone stole this check and altered the amount to {$7000.00} and cashed it for {$7000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. The check was not endorsed. I called my bank on XX/XX/XXXX to resolve this issue and have been calling the past 4 weeks. This issue still has not been resolved as of today, XX/XX/XXXX, and I have not received provisional credit. I am now told that it would take 90-120 days for the bank who cashed the check to review my claim. 

Below is a statement of what happened. It has been 4 weeks since I first called Huntington customer service about this issue on XX/XX/XXXX. I first reported the issue of the fraudulent check on XX/XX/XXXX to my bank. This case still has not been resolved. 

I mailed my landlord, XXXX XXXX, a check of {$1000.00} in XX/XX/XXXX for my XXXX rent. I dropped this envelope with the check inside on the USPS dropoff box on XXXX and XXXX in XXXX XXXX, CA, close to where I live. Someone intercepted the mail, stole the check, changed the amount from {$1000.00} to {$7000.00}, and cashed the {$7000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. The check was not endorsed. 

I called my landlord, XXXX XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX or XXXX PST. She said she never received the check. 

I called Huntington Customer Service on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to representative XXXX. He opened a case : XXXX. I have attached a photo of what a normal check to my landlord that was cashed looks like, versus the fraudulent check that someone stole and altered on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, {$6000.00} was credited to my checkings account. However, I need the full {$7000.00} back since my landlord never got the money. I called Huntington customer service on XX/XX/XXXX, and representative XXXX said that the researcher credited {$6000.00} to my account because they thought the {$1000.00} went to the right person. He opened another case, XXXX XXXX to rectify the issue. 

I called Huntington customer service on XX/XX/XXXX since I was still credited only {$6000.00} and still missing the {$1000.00} in my account. Customer service representative XXXX said that the case was being investigated. 

I called Huntington customer service on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to representative XXXX. While putting me on hold, she talked to the research/disputes team. She told me that the disputes team told her that they would need to start the case all over since they messed up. She said that they would remove the {$6000.00} from my account and start over. She told me to fax a statement of fraud form, found on the Huntington bank website, to XXXX, and write case XXXX : XXXX, since I do not live close to a Huntington branch. I faxed the form over and received notification that the fax was received at XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX PST ( XXXX EST ). She opened the case XXXX. XXXX said that the disputes/research team will reach out to me over the phone the next couple of days. I never got a call. 

I talked to Huntington customer service representative XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX later in the day after I faxed the form to make sure they got the fax. He stated that they got the form, and it would just take a few days for them to get back to me. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, the bank removed {$6000.00} from my checkings account. I saw an additional deposit hold of {$6000.00}. 

I spoke to Huntington customer service representative XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX about the additional {$6000.00} deposit hold they placed on my account on top of already removing the {$6000.00} credit. She spoke to the disputes/research team, and she said that they will remove the {$6000.00} deposit hold since they already removed the {$6000.00} credit. She also said that they were working on resolving my {$7000.00}, and that an affidavit was being signed. She said I should see the {$7000.00} in my bank account several days later. 

I called customer service representative XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX since the {$6000.00} deposit hold was still not removed. She spoke to the disputes/research team and works to remove the {$6000.00} from my account. She also said that a researcher from the disputes/research team, XXXX would reach out to me. He was assigned to my case but wasn't available in the moment. I saw the {$6000.00} deposit hold removed from my account. XXXX filed a complaint number XXXX for me. 

I did not hear back from the disputes team/researcher. I called Huntington customer service on XX/XX/XXXX, and this time I was directed to the disputes team, and I spoke to XXXX. XXXX said that my cases were closed, and that I needed to directly to work with a branch. I expressed that I do not feel comfortable flying right now due to COVID-19, and I have been trying to resolve this case for 3 weeks. She said she would talk to her manager. I also called two Huntington branches in XXXX, Ohio, and they said they would ask their manager to see if there would be another procedure other than flying into a branch in person. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from XXXX. XXXX instructed me to fax the forged/missing endorsement or altered check form again to XXXX and write that I have already faxed this over, received no response, and to leave my phone number. I went to USPS and faxed over the form again. I also received confirmation that the fax was delivered at XXXX PST ( XXXX EST ). She said that there was no actual department that handled these cases. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from XXXX XXXX from Huntington bank on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX. She said that I did not have to go into a branch in person but that I needed to fill out a forged or missing endorsement claim and altered check claim and include a copy of my lease. She says it needs to be notarized and mailed to the branch. 

I filed a police report on XX/XX/XXXX with XXXX XXXX police station over the phone. XXXX XXXX filed a report for me, and the claim number is XXXX. 

I mailed a copy of the missing endorsement claim/altered check claim along with my copy of check stub, image of what the fraudulent check looks like versus what a normal cashed check by my landlord looks like, a copy of my lease, and a police report from XX/XX/XXXX, with notary. 

I received a call from XXXX from domestic collections at Huntington on XX/XX/XXXX, and she says I need to fill out 2 affidavits, one affidavit from my landlord saying she never received the check, and I need to fill out another affidavit since I filled out the first one incorrectly on XX/XX/XXXX. She said to fax these forms to XXXX. She also stated that it would take another 9-120 days for the bank where the person cashed the fraudulent check, XXXX  XXXX XXXX, to reach a decision and before any funds will be put back into my account. I have not received any provisional credit. She told me to include referenced XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation