Consumer complaint received 2018-10-29
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I deposited a check from my mother for {$1100.00} onto my Chase checking account. Chase froze and shut down my account without so much of a call, text or email. They refuse to allow my to get to my money, including the money I had in my account before the deposit. They withdrew the money from my mother 's account even though they claim they could not verify if the check was authorized. They refuse to release the money to me and they refuse to give the money back to my mother. This has been the most stressful and scary experience I have had with a bank that they can just take your money from you and there is nothing you can do about it. 

Here is a timeline of what has happened : XX/XX/18 Deposit check for {$1100.00} from my mother, on Chase via mobile banking. Check begins processing. 

XX/XX/18 Bank account balance falls to $ XXXX. Insufficient funds notice email. They shut down my entire account without so much as a phone call, email or text message. 

Call chase and redirected to fraud department. Discuss with Fraud people the contact information for my mom. I give them her number. They try to find her number in their database even though she has never had an account with them. It won't show up. They say they can't help unless they can reach her over the phone. The number I supplied them with is the number that her bank uses. We established that check may still go through. The check is still processing. Chase doesn't stop the check. 

XX/XX/18 Call again ... call drops and they never call me back. 

XX/XX/18 Proceed to wait, hoping that the next day, Monday, the money will finally clear. 

XX/XX/18 The money is cleared in my account. It is withdrawn from my mothers account however I am still locked out of my account. I am not even allowed to withdraw money I had in the account previously before this incident. Chase refuses to return the money to my mother. They won't refund her the money. 

XX/XX/18 I call again and escalate it to a supervisor. Call drops and I never get called back. Call again, speak to another supervisor. I ask to speak to that supervisor 's supervisor. That person tells me that my mother has to go to the US Embassy in the country she's in to have a notarized letter sent to Chase that she authorizes the check. My mother lives in a country where there is no US Embassy and she is not going to fly somewhere just to do this. I tell Chase that they have to give the money back. They try to tell me that XXXX XXXX XXXX, where the check is from, has to stop the check. XXXX XXXX XXXX can not stop the check because Chase has already taken the money even though they claim that they can not confirm if the check is authorized or not. 

XX/XX/18 My mother files a complaint with the CFPB on my behalf. 

XX/XX/18 I speak to XXXX from Chase Bank Executive office, he says he is monitoring the case and he will be helping me. Does absolutely nothing to help me. 

XX/XX/18 My mother get 's an email about being an unauthorized 3rd party filing on my behalf. I then file the complaint myself.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation