Consumer complaint received 2022-08-11
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: MI
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
On Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, my car was broken into and my purse stolen - including driver 's license, credit card, and debit card. At last one other vehicle was broken into at the same time, and it was all caught on video by XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. Within 60 minutes of the break-in, all cards had been cancelled, and the bank notified of the theft. A police report was immediately filed. 

Around XXXX XXXX., the thief tried to withdraw several thousands of dollars from a Fifth Third Bank branch in XXXXXXXX XXXX She was wearing a wig, and when she was asked additional identification questions, she demanded the teller return me ID and credit card to her, which she was using to impersonate me to gain access to our accounts. 

At XXXX XXXX  that afternoon, she tried again at a Fifth Third Bank branch in XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  This time, the bank called XXXX, but the woman fled when she saw police. This branch captured video and still images of her. They also kept my driver 's license and credit card, so they were no longer in the thief 's possession. The branch manager at this bank ensured there were flags all over our accounts, said our money was safe, and that additional safeguards were in place to prevent people from accessing the money. 

When I asked, during all of this, if we could freeze our accounts, I was told no, and that would money would be fine. 

On Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX, someone presented two checks to the bank written out to me, with a forged signature on the back. The checks had NOT ever been deposited, but the thieves issued a " stop payment '' order on the checks, and Fifth Third Bank refunded them the money. We do have images of the checks we can present as evidence. One check was for {$2900.00}, the other for {$2400.00}, for a total of {$5400.00}. 

We discovered the money was missing on XXXX, and immediately started the process of filing a dispute. I spent more than XXXX hours on the phone, being handed to different departments, getting disconnected while being " transferred '', and then finally being told I had to call a different department which, by then, was closed for the day. I went to our local Fifth Third Bank branch in XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX on XXXX morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and sat with a banker to file a claim through her. Despite working for the bank, she too had to go through the same process we did with an XXXX number, and we were initially told that again was the wrong department. Finally, they allowed me to open a dispute, and I was told it could take up to 10 business days to resolve. It took more than 6 hours to even get a dispute filed, and may never have been able to without the insistence of an actual Fifth Third banker that money was wrong taken from our account. 

We never received any confirmation of opening the dispute, or any communication from Fifth Third. When I called Fifth Third on XX/XX/XXXX, I was told there were no updates. When I called on the 10th business day, XX/XX/XXXX, I was told I was misinformed and the investigation could take up to 15 days, and there were no updates on the case at all. The banker from our local branch called and was given the same scripted answer, and no additional information. 

When I called at XXXX XXXX. on XXXX, I was told the investigation was still ongoing, but there would be a resolution by close of business, and I would receive an email confirmation of such that day. When I called back after close of business, at XXXX XXXX., I was told there was no resolution and these disputes could take up to 30 days to complete. When I pushed back, I was told they would expedite the investigation, and have a resolution within 2 more business days ( XX/XX/XXXX ). 

When I called at XXXXXXXX XXXX. on XXXX, I was again told there would be a resolution by XXXX. When I called back at XXXXXXXX XXXX, the line was closed. 

I called back again at XXXXXXXX XXXX. on XX/XX/XXXX, and was told there was still no resolution, and despite my insistence and asking how I can escalate it, if I could take to a manager, etc., I was told I simply had to wait, and again guaranteed an answer by XXXX. When I called back at XXXX XXXX. on XX/XX/XXXX, I was given the same answer, and no way to escalate it. I asked if the bank would ever reach out or communicate with me, and was told no - it was 100 % on me to communicate, and when a resolution was found, we would receive information via USPS ; I would have to keep calling for answers. 

I called again at XXXXXXXX XXXX. on XX/XX/XXXX, and received all the same responses - and no answers at all whatsoever. 

As of today, it has been nearly one month since the money was wrongly taken from our account, and we have not hear from Fifth Third Bank on a single occasion, and spent hours and hours on hold, pressing for answers, and getting nowhere. 

Fifth Third Bank has footage of the woman trying to impersonate me, there is an ongoing investigation with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Department, and other evidence to support our dispute to get our money back. But above all, Fifth Third Bank needs to be held accountable for giving someone {$5400.00} out of our savings account that was never deposited in the first place, despite all the red flags all over out accounts.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation