Consumer complaint received 2023-02-15
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I received a phone call in the evening on XX/XX/XXXX at my home from Bank of America Fraud Dept. 
The previous day XX/XX/XXXX, I had also been contacted by BOFA Fraud about fraud debit charges which they had canceled and restricted my card. 

On the XX/XX/XXXX call from BOFA Fraud dept they stated I had XXXX transactions that were suspicious. I told them I had done no transactions. 
They told me while fraud had been caught the day before, that now XXXX transfers had been done on my account and they needed to walk me through reversing them. 
They had me do what they called a reverse set up ( see attached PDF ). 
They also validated they were BOFA, via the phone number they called from and via sending me a text, as well as providing detailed info that only BOFA would know. 
Of course I was freaked out about loss of funds and I trusted the info they told me. I did what they said to do. 
It wasn't till I had asked if I could speak with a supervisor and was hung up on that I realized something was not right. 
I immediately contacted BOFA 800 number and was transferred several times, then finally transferred to Fraud dept, where I waited on hold for 47mins. 
This was at XXXX on the same evening that I had received the " said call from BOFA Fraud ''. 
When I was finally connected BOFA fraud told me that no they had not called me that evening, even though the number was a BOFA Number that was used. 
I explained what happened and they had me file a report. 

BOFA said that I had been defrauded via a fake number and was made to transfer funds to a fraud mobile # and account that was linked to another BOFA account. 

This is terrifying. I am XXXX old and care for an adult special needs son and a XXXX old husband and now I just lost my paycheck funds to pay my mortgage. 
We are on a tight budget and I do everything I can to protect our financial lives from MFA, to credit freezes to Password apps. 
So to have someone literally fake my Bank and contact me from their number, one day after I had already been contacted by my bank and then steal from me is horrifying! 
I printed and screen shot the info they told me was for a reverse charge, so the mobile number its registered to is there. 
Someone managed to steal my card info and then figure out what my private home number was. How did they use a BOFA phone number? 
How did the fake BOFA know about my previous fraud debit charges? How did they use a BOFA number and manage to send me a text? 
All that info should be secured. 

I have been waiting for BOFA to make good on the fact that I was defrauded under regulation E as this was not an authorized transfer. 
I contacted the fraud dept within moments of being defrauded. 
The fraud account funds were transferred to is part of BOFA financial institution. So this should not be difficult. Its not with another insitution. 

BOFA also said to file a complaint with the CFPB on XXXX. I did but XXXX washed their hands of this. 
I also filled an FTC complaint as well. 

I have been a loyal BOFA customer since XXXX and I need some help here. 
I need my funds returned badly. Yet no one has updated me, nor contacted me yet. 
Please help!

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