Consumer complaint received 2023-12-08
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: AR
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
I am a XXXX  XXXX veteran and nearly twenty ( 20 ) years loyal member of USAA Federal Savings Bank. After the forcible sale of our home, my teenage daughter and I planned a new beginning ; utilizing my share of the proceeds, {$51000.00} ; I had wire transfer to my USAA checking account on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX. [ We also had our XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Benefit directly deposited to this account as well, for a number of years. In XXXX, XXXX, we had to vacate our home and temporarily moved into a hotel. This is when I discovered more than half our funds were missing or stolen. 

For a few months, on and off, before and after the wire transfer to my checking account, I had been experiencing constant problems with my cell phones and home internet. [ missing/stolen sim card ; virus, no or slow wifi nor mobile data, errors, and going unnoticed for a few months, fake apps on my phone replacing real ones like XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX no notifications, phone calls forwarded ; complaints I was not answering my phone ; I replaced my cellphone at least 4 or 5 times, all my settings, undone shortly after I fix errors ] ; I was unaware hackers had remote access to my phones and online financial accounts. Before this crime happened to us, I had very little knowledge new technology, internet, and its abilities and advance features which could be abused to damage lives and financial crimes. 

I contacted USAA and still no access to my mobile nor online banking, I did not yet have a visual depiction of the transactions ; and the same night, my hotel room was broken into, and my extra set of vehicle remote key and debit cards from other checking accounts were stolen [ i filed a police report ]. It also was the beginning of two months of harassment, stalking by a group of individuals in various vehicles; breaking into and stealing items and documents from my vehicle ; XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and actions we believed by the fraudsters or preparators whole stole our funds; were intimating us into not reporting the crimes. We notified USAA of our fear for our safety, and requested the bank not close our debit card [ the USAA account and debit card was our only access to funds ] until we found a safe haven ; USAA agreed at least three times as we switched hotels at least four times for our security/safety. USAA [ Later the bank used our continued use of the cards during the fraud, as reason to deny many of our claims ] was aware of the ongoing fraud, and that it would continue until the debit cards were closed. We changed debit cards at least four times ; until eventually we relocated from the state of XXXX XXXX XXXX; hoping to live out of the reach of the XXXX XXXX, who followed us everywhere, especially atms, gas stations, department stores, etc. 

After finally gaining access to my USAA mobile and online banking, I learned the funds were mostly withdrawn through XXXX XXXX [ over XXXX transactions ] and fraudsters also made over 200 atm/debit withdrawals/purchases as well as false checks for cash over a two ( 2 ) month period. I contacted XXXX XXXX and as requested, XXXX XXXX closed the fraudulent account the hackers had made in my name, and attempted to recoup my funds ; however, after a few refunds, the recipients closed their XXXX XXXX accounts. 

USAAs computer system was unable to process the XXXX transactions as XXXX claim/dispute ; it was a daunting process, with many telephonic reporting problems, and the XXXX or more transactions were divided into multiple claims of XXXX transactions per claim. USAA granted us provisional credit in the initial XXXX XXXX claims totaling maybe {$15000.00} of the {$55000.00} stolen funds over the fraud period of XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX. However, when we filed for the remaining XXXX XXXX XXXX transactions USAA fail to process and the atm/debit card purchases and withdrawals as well as hot checks ; the bank took another XXXX months [ initial claims filed in XXXX ] before granting us a provisional credit of {$25000.00} in XXXX, XXXX ; yet USAA restricted our access XXXX these funds for weeks ; freezing the debit card and on/off limited transfers. Meanwhile, the five to nearly six months waiting for the bank to complete and make a decision on our claims/dispute, I was unable to pay creditors ; three months past due auto loan, auto insurance, and the storage facility containing all our personal and household property. For a brief period, of maybe three days, USAA lifted the restrictions on my checking account, and I immediately made 3 ACH payments to these three creditors, and adhering to USAA security representative, I open a physical/local bank, and wired {$10000.00} from my USAA checking account into XXXX XXXX  XXXX which was a nightmare, XXXX XXXX particularly accused me of fraud and denied me access to the wire for nearly three months ]. The very same day, USAA rescinded the provisional credit of {$25000.00} ; placing my checking account into a negative balance of over {$11000.00}. USAA also demanded the money I wired to XXXX XXXX  [ {$10000.00} ] be returned ; I informed them the other bank was holding the funds. USAA keep the account opened long enough to garnished two months of our XXXX XXXX XXXX benefits directly deposited into the checking account ; did not honored the thee ( 3 ) ACH transactions ; and in XX/XX/XXXX, informed me the bank will no longer do business with us; closing my checking account. 

We ran out of money for hotels, my fixed income, XXXX XXXXXXXX check could not cover the current expenses and past due balances ; as a result, the finance company did a write off on my vehicle [ like a repossession [ ; the auto insurance company canceled our auto policy [ one month before the vehicle was involved in a auto collision which totaled the vehicle ] ; and the storage facility auctioned off all our possessions of 34 years of our property from our home ; we lost everything. 

I tried for months pleading with USAA to reverse its negative findings of our claims ; the bank insisted that the remaining XXXX XXXX and debit card transactions were not fraudulent ; despite the bank notifying me that in XXXX after USAA grant the {>= $1,000,000} provisional credit into my checking account, a third unknown party was attempting to remotely access my USAA account from XXXX, and we were in XXXX. The security, fraud and identity theft departments, would not accept that the fraudsters were using other cybernet methods to steal our funds, such a skimming, scanning device, mini camera and trackers in my vehicle, which they had accessed unto due to my stolen vehicle keys, and other ways I later learned how they gained access to my debit card information and pin despite changing the debit card four times.They never stop following and stalking us; stealing my sim cards, breaking into our new hotels rooms, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I called XXXX countless times, and made several police reports, and XXXX XXXX offered for USAA to contact them, so XXXX XXXX could speak on our behalf. USAA refused. 

At the end, my XXXX  XXXX  and I lost everything we owned and are now homeless. Even with the {$10000.00}, too late we battled for months to regain from XXXX XXXX  ; we, sporadically received at different periods over a six month period of the fraud investigation, still only received approximately half of our lost funds. I fell into a grave XXXX and had to be hospitalized as an inpatient for a few different periods of time; sleeping on the ground ; going house to house living with strangers and when I can afford, staying at cheap hotels ; with no transportation. My daughter is now living with my XXXX XXXX husband ; the separation from my XXXX  is unbearable. 

The crime devastated our lives ; and directly led to our homelessness, as well as loss of all our personal and household goods. The stolen funds and USAAs unfavorable findings were quite unexpected and triggered debilitating mental agonish, pain and suffering ; as a result, I underwent various periods of inpatient hospitalization and XXXX  ; treatment for major XXXX and severe XXXX. 

USAA, one of the largest banks in the country, in the care of a XXXX year member of its bank, published and inherited the responsibility of protecting its members from fraud and identity theft. The bank failed to exhaust every measure to stop the fraud from its beginning and refused to accept responsibility for the grave financial loss by refunding the funds stolen from my checking account after the funds were wired into my account. In past times, USAA froze my debit card after its security and fraud prevention program detected suspicious activity on the linked checking account. USAA allowed over 400 fraudulent transactions over a two month period without making an effort to stop this unusual activity ; especially after the large sum of over {$51000.00} was recently deposited into my checking account. The bank could mail a letter or simply freeze the debit card until the bank contacted me to confirm whether these were my transactions. Also, the bank did not fully honor its XXXX XXXX XXXX ; an assurance that its members would not suffer the financial loss due to fraud. If USAA would have promptly detected the fraud within a reasonable amount of time, the damage could have been prevented or lessened. 

I contacted USAA countless occasions to appeal their unfavorable decision ; and refund us the remaining provisional credit the bank rescinded in XXXX, XXXX of XXXX ; reimbursement of XXXX benefits stolen in the fraud about {$4000.00}, and the garnished XXXX of {$2000.00} ; a total of approximately {$17000.00}. [ {$16000.00} less than the funds stolen in fraud ]. 

Much less than the amount I request sue USAA bank for : USAA has caused us lost of our cash funds/non refunded fraud : approximately {$33000.00} ; vehicle : {$26000.00} : property lost in storage : XXXX : past due XXXX XXXX : {$5000.00} and for the pain and suffering/homeless/mental anguish : at least {$50000.00} - {$100000.00}. A total of between {$140000.00} - {$200000.00}. 

I appeal USAA claims and disputes findings for the following reasons : Findings Are Not Accurate : [ Multiple Duplicate Claims ; Use of Debit Card After Fraud ; etc. ] Claim is Incomplete : Missing/Unprocessed Transactions/Refunds USAA Agreed to Delay Cancellation of My Debit Card ( s ) Due to Distress After We Spoke and Identified the Fraud USAA Failed to Conduct a Thorough and Unbiased Investigation and Refused to Consider/Ruled Out Other Fraudsters Cybernet Methods Used to Steal My Information ; Access My Online Accounts ; and Hack Into My Cell Phones USAA Banks Security and Fraud Prevention Departments Failed to Do Due Diligence to Promptly Stop the Fraud and Identity Theft and Exhaust Every Measure To Notify Me of the Highly Suspicious Activity of My Checking Account USAA Denied Claims that Were Part of Previous Claims the Bank Resolved in My Favor/Found Fraudulent USAA Failed to Honor The Banks Zero Liability Policy for Members Victimized by Fraud and Unauthorized Use of Their Debit Cards While in XXXX, XXXX, where the crimes occurred , I filed various police reports for Breaking Into our Hotel Rooms [ one report filed in nearby town of XXXX XXXX, XXXX  ; stealing our my vehicle keyless remote/and start engine remote ; vehicles following /stalking us everywhere [ two days are so in a new hotel, they hacked into my XXXX  and find us ] ; filed for fraud and identity theft [ XXXX Police Department now claim they do not have the report XXXX XXXX and other agencies I sought help in XXXX, made it clear they did not want to be involved especially due to these group of individuals were likely a violent street gang ] ; also filed vandalism/criminal mischief of my vehicle where they stuffed chocolate bars in my vehicles gas tank ; i believe in an effort to prevent us from leaving the state of XXXX, and I made numerous XXXX calls during the two to three months of severe harassment and terrorizing. I recently refiled the police report in XXXX  who will assistance XXXX in XXXX, because I do not feel safe returning to XXXX  to file in person. 
I also filed an identity theft report with Federal Trade Commission ; a complaint with ICE/FBI ; initiated a new investigation with XXXX XXXX ; and filed an appeal with USAA. I also move to different locations to stay safe ; as I informed USAA in XXXX, I believed the stalkers somehow found us in XXXX. With the refunding of our money, we will not find a secure resident far away from these individuals who will do violence to avoid prosecution for their crimes against us.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation