Consumer complaint received 2023-06-14
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: LA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, my wife and I went to a local chase branch located at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX to open a joint checking and savings account. The account opening process went as normal. We provided required documents to verify our identities, including our marriage certificate and social security card which was necessary to prove my wife 's name change. 

We deposited XXXX checks amounting to {$1300.00} and {$230.00} in cash totalling {$1500.00} and then left. We were not given a deposit receipt, however, the amount was read as {$1600.00} despite me putting the correct amount on the deposit slip which I can not download or attach unfortunately. That amount was adjusted on XX/XX/XXXX according to my bank account. I am not certain if this is what caused the situation at hand but this was not to doing, but Chase 's. 

On XX/XX/XXXX my credit card was frozen and I had to call and, successfully, unlock my online account and card as they were attempting to verify that I had in fact moved and made the purchases I've been making. So at this point Chase had two forms of affirmative documentation of my move. One verbal through their credit card team, and one physical through my account opening and proof of residence. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I, again, tried to access my online portal only to be met with a notification that my account was locked. I had no documents or correspondence from Chase indicating that this action had been taken nor would I receive any correspondence from them until the following day which advised my account was restricted and that I could find out more information by logging in, which I could not do because they locked access to my online account as well. 

I called multiple times throughout the day and was on XXXX minute phone calls before a rep would ultimately advise they need to transfer me to another department. Finally after work, I got in touch with their deposit review team. They advised me that my account was frozen due to suspected fraud until they could review the validity of every single check I deposited. When I asked what about my account opening was suspicious, I was met with resistance from the operator and was given " maybe '' the age of the checks, " maybe '' the move, " maybe '' the different names on the checks. I was never afforded a singular affirmative reason for the freeze. 

I was on the line with this rep for XXXX XXXX while he attempted to contact my relatives who all wrote these checks as a gift for our wedding. Again, our marriage certificate corroborates our recent union. And the different names would be explained by the wedding as well. Chase had access to all of this information and documentation themselves to verify. 

The rep kept coming back to the line and advising me that my relatives either did not answer, or that the numbers they had in their registry were not active. I offered to provide their contact information but was told that the number had to match their internal registry. One of the numbers I was told did not match was my Aunt, who has had the same phone number for well over a decade. 

Eventually the rep advised me that he had exhausted the list and that further review would be necessary. I expressed my frustrations with the policies, particularly as I was advised that I could not provide contact information and in addition to that, these family members could not reach out at their own convenience, but rather I had to call each of them and explain that I was being investigated by Chase for fraud and that they'd have to provide me with a date and time that they'd be available for Chase to call. In addition to that, I could not be given a specific number that chase would call from as I was told that the number could and would be different and that they also do not leave voicemails. In the age of fraud and scams, this is an extremely anti-consumer and dangerous practice which leaves many susceptible to ACTUAL fraud. 

The rep told me that my opinion on the practice was not valid and that I was wrong and began talking over me. I escalated the call and spoke with a supervisor who attempted to help for a further hour to no avail aside from submitting a complaint regarding the behavior and actions of the rep before. During my time with her I was told if they could not validate the funds, which were already cashed at this point, the funds would be placed into suspense for up to 2 years and ultimately remitted to the state. None of my relatives were to be reimbursed, and I would not receive the funds. 

We scheduled an appointment with a rep at the XXXX XXXX branch again who spoke with the fraud team, I was present for only a portion of the meeting but after calling my relatives once again to verify the validity of the checks and extensively checking my wife 's identification documents again, the account was unfrozen. The fraud department, after telling me twice from the two prior representatives " found '' my aunts matching phone number and successfully verified her check. 

After at least 5 hours of total effort over multiple days, I still had not received any definitive explanation as to what prompted the account freeze. 

Despite all of this my online access was still revoked and I had to call yet again the following day to reinstate my access. 

Following all of this I simply wanted an official explanation from Chase as to why my accounts and online access were frozen not once, but twice. 

I went through tremendous time, energy, and embarrassment to prove my innocence in the matter. I do not feel I should have had to do the fraud department 's job for them, especially provided the fact that they had every document necessary to disprove the " maybes '' I was given. The age of the checks and multiple names were explained by our wedding. And despite the age of the checks, which were around 45 days old, checks are negotiable for 90 days unless otherwise stated. And the move was already validated verbally by Chase 's credit card team and the proof of residence we submitted upon account opening in branch as well. 

I lost money from having to take time off from my job to resolve this, and I was not promptly notified of these actions taken by Chase. It was frozen since XX/XX/XXXX at least, potentially earlier. However I didn't receive any official correspondence, again, until XX/XX/XXXX via email. And never through mail. 

I was subjected to embarrassment from being forced to contact my family after our wedding and do the job of Chase 's fraud department for them to directly contact them, as opposed to contacting their financial institution and having them verify for each individual. I have never heard of practices like this. 

I believe that Chase will not provide an explanation for this freeze because it was unlawful and unfair. And I believe their policies and practices are unfair to consumers and dangerous to consumers as well. This was a gross overreach of power and I believe Chase held my money hostage simply because they could. And if I didn't have the flexibility and endurance to be able to accommodate their stone age policies, then my wife and I 's legitimate funds would have been taken by Chase and our accounts closed. They even placed my wife 's moving stipend, which was a direct deposit days after the opening, unrelated, and not even a check, into suspense which was thousands of dollars and also would have been subjected to the same seizure of funds as our checks in question.

I have contacted the banker, the branch manager, and their executive complaint department asking for an official statement in writing as to why the freeze placed on my account was valid and lawful and was told they could not do so by each. 

I spoke with the executive complaint department XX/XX/XXXX and was told exactly, I quote " we can not provide you with a written reason in writing [ for why the freeze was placed ] because if we do that for you, we would have to do that for everyone. '' Apparently the official stance by Chase is that telling people why they are suspicious about their account activity is too laborious to do for everyone, so they will do it for no one. However, they will force you to spend hours calling them and your entire family to prove you're not a fraudster and that your account is legitimate.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation