Consumer complaint received 2022-01-10
Company: Chime Financial Inc
State: IN
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
Customers have also filed XXXX complaints against Chime withtXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX 
statements on XXXX 's website. 

I sign up with Chime online bank on XXXX XX/XX/2021 Everything seem fine and easy to sign up. 

I was all set to go and Chime send me an welcoming email and my online bank with Chime is good to go. 
I log in to Chime and I transfer {$390.00} and I got an email from them confirming. 

Few hours later, I try to log in but I can not. 
Screen says my account is locked due to suspicious activitywhat suspicious activity? I just opened few hours a go and all I did was transfer money to Chime. 

So till today, nothing. They are not helping me and I got another email from them asking more documents even after I provided it all My account with Chime open and locked the same day I sign up right after I transfer money. 

{$390.00} may not much to most of people but it is all I have and I have no other income nor get any help from Government assistance. 

Anyway, I called Chime customer help line XXXX but person in the other line told me they can not unlocked over the phone and it have to go through Chime Support line which only through emails. 
Say that I need to send them a email to XXXX and XXXX. 

I did as what they told me because I have no regular income nor get any help from other sources so this may not much to many people but to me it is all I have and I can not buy or spend on anything until I can access my account. 

Chime support team send me an automatic response asking me to send proof of documentation. 
Asking all of my personal identifications include picture of my Photo Id, Passport, SSN Card, any of utility bill or trust deed and other important documentation that has my name on it and home Address and include my selfie that I am holding all of documentation and write my name and todays date on a big piece of paper. 

I send it all of it except current utility bill or any other billing statement because I do not have it and only thing I have was medical billing statement or letter from Hospital and my XXXX that has my name and current address on it. 
I do not pay any utility bills, nor any other like house ownership, trust deeds, home or life insurance they are asking. 

And yes, Chime has all of my information and my personal documentations such as picture of my photo ID, My Passport, my SSN card I had to take a picture of them and send it to them by email ..order to unlock my account and I did exactly what and how to send them step by step 5 times already but they still can not accept and reopen my chime account. 
Without reopen, I can not access to my money or transfer back to my original bank nor close chime account which I want to close at this point because of headache, heart break and dishonest from Chime. 

How bank open account and than freeze the very same day right after money was transfer to chime? 
They keep sending me same automatic response email asking documents. 

I called them again what exactly they are asking? 

They say I need to send it all at once and correctly in order. 

They need for me to take a picture of my Photo Id not one but Two pictures of it front and back, Passport front and back, SSN card front and back and any utility bill has my name on it and show the home Address and take a letter out of the Envelope lay it flat and show all XXXX corners. 
And take a selfie of my self holding all those Documents and write on one piece of paper my name and todays date to verify my identity. 
Wow.. 
But I comply and send it to them. 
But that is still not correct. 
They say I need proof of Address on one of followingutility bills, bank statement, so on and on but has to be 30 days or less old. 
I do not have any. 
I do not pay any bills nor have any of that and can not produce one and nor I went to see a Doctor within 30 days due yo Covid 19. 

I called today XX/XX/XXXX but they just simply say the same thing over and over like a machine and I dont have what they are asking for and that I didnt show all the proof that I am who I am and nothing they can do.yes they can but they wont. 

I got so frustrated and told them it is not my fault.person raise his voice and say that it is all my fault. 
That is why I am having this problem and also I didnt provide everything they are asking forhow do I provide if I do not have nor pay utility bills, nor own a home, trust deeds, life insurance, car insurance which I do not drive..? 
I called many times and they told me that because my account is on hold, transfer money was fail which means money was never reach chime and was send back to my original bank they told me that XXXX different times. 
Today XX/XX/XXXX I called and they say yes transfer was fail due to account is on hold and money is limboits not with Chime nor with my original bank Keybank.but than he say Chime has money. 
So I called back again to make sure and they say yes money is with chime account but you can not access until you provide all the documents. 
I told them did 5 times but they do nothing but send automatic messagesperson telling me just keep do what they askreally? 

I call my XXXX XXXX and filed dispute but they say its not guaranteed I will get money back and just let them do their investigation and get back to me. 
This is so wrong. 
I m a person, human veing and getting rip-off and scammed. 
I m not a rich and living on a limited funds and now I have nothing. 
Again {$390.00} is pocket change for some but to me and many others like me are everything I have. 

so bottom line, they can not help me nor unlock my account. 
And this point, I do not want nothing to do with them. 
I want what is mine and all my information they have to be removed for my safety. 

And many others like my self having same problems with Chime after I did some digging. 

It is more about principle, honestly and integrity and value. 
I feel so beat down and drained and feel stupid at the same time. 
Law or something has to be done to stop this kind of business practices to make a profit on innocent people. 
I want to spread it so there wont be no more victims. 
Please help. 
I also have all the email documents and few phone conversations.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation