Consumer complaint received 2017-08-15
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: OR
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
A couple of years ago, I decided to open a checking account at Bank of America despite hearing from family member/ friends that I should never open a bank account at big banks because they have such hatred toward hardworking American people who bailed them out when they needed help. About a month ago, I realized that they were correct. On the night of XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I logged on to my Bank of America ( BOA ) checking account and saw that BOA had made a withdrawal entry of {$880000.00} in my account. I was shocked and taken aback when I saw that my account balance was negative {$880000.00} after this entry. Prior to this entry, I had about {$3300.00} in my bank account. I called customer service but they were closed since this was late at night. I called BOA again next day, which was Saturday, and spoke with customer service. They told me that they had no information about this entry and I should speak with someone from the " risk department ''. However, they were closed on weekends so I had to call BOA on Monday morning. I called BOA risk department on Monday.I spoke with someone and they said that they are unable to provide further information other than this is due to a deposit. They were unable to tell me the date and the amount of the deposit. They also told me that BOA is going to be closing my bank account. After the phone call, I was left with my account being frozen and me unable to access my funds without any reason as to why this was happening. Few days later, I received a phone call from BOA saying that this hold was due to a {$8500.00} deposit in my account by someone who had done " lottery scam ''. After this phone call, I checked my account and found out that this deposit was made by XXXX XXXX, a good friend of a family member. He had borrowed this money few months back from me and was returning it to me by depositing it in my bank account. BOA later changed their story and said that XXXX had hacked someone 's computer and had stolen money. I had no idea how XXXX XXXX got this money or what his involvement is in any fraud. He was simply returning the money that he had borrowed from us. When I spoke with XXXX XXXX about this, he claimed that he did not do any fraud and had returned my money by depositing it in my account. He is claiming that I am making up all of this story to obtain the money from him twice. He claims that he has the proof that the money was deposited into my account and he owes me nothing now. This has left me in a very bad situation, where BOA has taken away my money from the account and XXXX XXXX claims that he has returned the money to me. I have nothing in writing to show that BOA has taken away the money that XXXX deposited and this was due to the fraud that XXXX committed. BOA has provided me nothing other than a rude letter saying that " my bank account will be closed and my remaining balance wo n't be returned ''. I am unable to sue XXXX XXXX for this money because he has proof that he returned the money to me and there is nothing that I have in writing from BOA that this is all due to XXXX XXXX. BOA has been very rude in this entire process and has not given me much information about anything. They have taken away my hard earned money without any notification as to what authority they have to steal someone 's money and why they are doing this. I am an XXXX XXXX and we have extended family throughout United States. We are primarily small business owners and lend each other money when there is a need. BOA keeps treating me like a criminal when I have done nothing wrong. If a person put gun to my head and steals my money, they go to jail. BOA engages in this type of behavior is bailed out by using XXXX of dollars of taxpayer money. If XXXX XXXX stole this money from someone, it is not my fault. He is the one that should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I am not a thief simply because I had lent money to him in the past. I request that either BOA return the money they took from my account or give me something in writing describing why they took this money and the role that XXXX XXXX had in all of this.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation