Consumer complaint received 2023-12-06
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Opening an account
Sub-issue: Unable to open an account

Complaint:
I went into a Chase Bank Branch in I went into a Chase Bank Branch in XXXX, XXXX at the XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX branch located on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. After producing the required verification documents to the banker at the branch ( Driver 's License and Social Security Card ) the banker inputted the information into their computer system and received an approval and an account number to continue with the opening of my new bank account with Chase. After handing the banker the funds in cash to deposit into my bank account, he received an alert on his system that my new account has been flagged and that he needed to call the number on the screen to speak to another bank department regarding this brand new account that has been opened for less than 5 minutes. After a lengthy conversation with the person on the other line, the banker hung up the phone and told me that unfortunately my new account will be closed immediately and without further notice. I asked him why this was happening and if their was anything that I could do to keep this from happening and the banker told me that the reason that was given to him by the back office was that my new account is being closed because I allegedly made a transfer or had sent money to a country that was forbidden or that my money transfer was suspicious and unauthorized for me to send in the first place. He stated that basically the bank thinks that I am sending money to the XXXX XXXX to fund some kind of illegal activity or otherwise and this is why they will not allow me to open an account with them now or ever. They claimed that this had been allegedly done back in XXXX when I did have a Chase Account. This is completely and utterly wrong and I have never sent or attempted to send any funds to any XXXX XXXX Country or even anywhere outside of the United States of America. I have never made any wire transfers. I have never initiated any ACH transactions internationally, And I have never ever even thought about sending funds for ANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES WHATSOEVER. You will not find a single transaction that would even remotely indicate this kind of activity with Chase or even attempting to send any funds to an outside country or entity ever with Chase or any other bank. Just because I am of XXXX XXXX because my parents had been born in XXXX, they XXXX to the United States of America in the late XXXX 's and then I was born in XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as a 100 % United States Citizen. You have rejected the opening of any new bank accounts each and every time since XXXX and it usually happens after the system approves the account online and then 24-72 hours later you lock my accounts, deactivate my debit cards, and hold my money XXXX and won't ever tell me the reason why this is being done. You tell me the same thing each and every time which is, '' We are exercising our right to not disclose to you the reason as to why we are closing your account and banking relationship with Chase, and just like I don't have to tell the bank why I will close my account either. It is in our terms and conditions, please read them if you haven't already. '' This is the same generic answer I get every time and the bank absolutely refuses to tell me why they have drastically closed my account with them. '' This is complete and obvious discrimination by the bank. 
It doesnt not get any more clearer than this to see that they are discriminating against me because I have an XXXX XXXX middle name and sur name. My full and legal name is XXXX XXXX XXXX. I believe that you must think that just because my parents came from XXXX over 60 years ago that I am guilty by association and by my name having XXXX middle and sur names even though I was born as an American Citizen and have lived right here in the United States my entire life. I believe that the banker had made a big mistake by telling me what the back office would never disclose to me in the first place. In fact, he is my witness to what was said to me back in XXXX, XXXX at that particular branch, and if necessary, I will get his XXXX, XXXX at the XXXX XXXX  California branch located on XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. After producing the required verification document s to the banker at the branch ( Driver 's License and Social Security Card ) the banker inputted the information into their computer system and received an approval and an account number to continue with the opening of my new bank account with Chase. After handing the banker the funds in cash to deposit into my bank account, he received an alert on his system that my new account has been flagged and that he needed to call the number on the screen to speak to another bank department regarding this brand new account that has been opened for less than 5 minutes. After a lengthy conversation with the person on the other line, the banker hung up the phone and told me that unfortunately my new account will be closed immediately and without further notice. I asked him why this was happening and if their was anything that I could do to keep this from happening and the banker told me that the reason that was given to him by the back office was that my new account is being closed because I allegedly made a transfer or had sent money to a country that was forbidden or that my money transfer was suspicious and unauthorized for me to send in the first place. He stated that basically the bank thinks that I am sending money to the XXXX XXXX to fund some kind of illegal activity or otherwise and this is why they will not allow me to open an account with them now or ever. They claimed that this had been allegedly done back in XXXX when I did have a Chase Account. This is completely and utterly wrong and I have never sent or attempted to send any funds to any XXXX XXXX XXXX or even anywhere outside of the United States of America. I have never made any wire transfers. I have never initiated any ACH transactions internationally, And I have never ever even thought about sending funds for ANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES WHATSOEVER. You will not find a single transaction that would even remotely indicate this kind of activity with Chase or even attempting to send any funds to an outside country or entity ever with Chase or any other bank. Just because I am of XXXX  Nationality because my parents had been born in XXXX, they XXXX to the United States of America in the late XXXX 's and then I was born in XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as a 100 % United States Citizen. You have rejected the opening of any new bank accounts each and every time since XXXX and it usually happens after the system approves the account online and then XXXX hours later you lock my accounts, deactivate my debit cards, and hold my money XXXX and won't ever tell me the reason why this is being done. You tell me the same thing each and every time which is, '' We are exercising our right to not disclose to you the reason as to why we are closing your account and banking relationship with Chase, and just like I don't have to tell the bank why I will close my account either. It is in our terms and conditions, please read them if you haven't already. '' This is the same generic answer I get every time and the bank absolutely refuses to tell me why they have drastically closed my account with them. '' This is complete and obvious discrimination by the bank. It doesnt not get any more clearer than this to see that they are discriminating against me because I have an XXXX XXXX middle name and sur name. My full and legal name is XXXX XXXX XXXX. I believe that you must think that just because my parents came from XXXX over 60 years ago that I am guilty by association and by my name having XXXX XXXX and XXXX names even though I was born as an American Citizen and have lived right here in the United States my entire life. I believe that the banker had made a big mistake by telling me what the back office would never disclose to me in the first place. In fact, he is my witness to what was said to me back in XXXX, XXXX at that particular branch, and if necessary, I will get his statement on record in case this has to go to litigation due to not opening up a checking account as a result of this complaint due to your negligent and willful act of discriminating against me and making up false reasons and ghost transactions that had never happened under my name or accounts with you in the past or the present and certainly not in the future. Feel free to review my transactions that had been associated with my account back in XXXX and you will then see that you have been wrong this whole time and that there isn't any transactions or attempted transactions to send any money abroad and to fund any kind of illegal activities whatsoever in any way. I insist that you do just that. I am not just going to go away and be wrongfully accused of something that I have never done and for the bank to wrongfully accuse me of making any kind of unauthorized money transfers to any questionable entity or country in any way. I have verbal evidance from a bank employee that didn't know any better when he told me the reason why my accounts keep getting closed and without any type of explanation whatsoever. It all makes perfect sense now why you wouldn't want me to know that basically the bank thinks that I am some sort of XXXX just because of my name and my because i am 100 % of XXXX descent but a full XXXX XXXX that has absolutely no ties to the XXXX XXXX in any way. This is complete discrimination by you and if it doesn't get rectified soon, you can be sure of one thing : I will make it my life long goal to discredit and to reveal to the public through the media and Social Networking Channels of exactly what kind of bank you really are and how you discriminate against innocent XXXX XXXX just because of their name or their descent. Just like you have tarnished my name and profile with you and have turned me into some kind of monster in your eyes, I will reciprocate and make sure that at the end of all of this, I win. Not because I want to win so I can seek compensation from you ( I don't care about that whatsoever ), but because I want to win out of mere principle and to prove a point to the bank, any Civil Courts, and most importantly to myself and the rest of the public. I hope that you do your due diligence here and give this complaint your complete attention and in turn, a result that is amicable between the both of us, and that will be the end of it. Thanks for your time.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation