Consumer complaint received 2018-05-22
Company: SANTANDER BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
My name is XXXX XXXX and I am a customer with Santander Bank since XX/XX/XXXX holding a small business account with Ac # XXXX. Name on the account XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 
I was introduced to Santander Bank by your small business marketing Mgr XXXX XXXX. 
My account was compromised by {$12000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX which I found out when I reached the bank to send a international wire transfer which is a normal activity that I have done from my business account. 
My daily morning routine has been to check my account balance online and to ensure if funds have been made available and also to check if my issued checks have been cleared. 
On XX/XX/XXXX morning when I checked my balance I had {$16000.00} and the funds were fully available. That afternoon when I went at the XXXX XXXX branch in XXXX to make a wire transfer of {$9300.00} to my vendor overseas who supplies me with merchandise, I was informed by the banker that I did not have enough funds in my account to proceed with this activity as a domestic wire of $ XXXX was sent this afternoon. 
I was shocked and concerned at the same time and requested the banker to call the wire department to stop the wire as I had no knowledge of this and I did not authorize or make a request online to transfer funds anywhere. I have NEVER sent a wire ONLINE ever with Santander and have always gone to the branch to send a wire. This bank is right opposite my office building in garment district and all the bankers in that branch know me and also know that I have always been there to do a wire. 
I was sitting at that branch for 4 hours worried with what had just happened. I was assured by the banker to not worry as they will investigate this and get back to me as soon as possible. 
Today I am writing to you to ask for your help in getting this matter resolved. I am a small business owner and can not afford to have funds missing from my account. 
This thought is frightening to me that a bank which is considered a safe institution can easily be hacked/fooled in removing funds from your clients account. 
How does something like this happen at a bank? There has to be some sort of verification that has to take place before releasing funds from someones account. 
It was implied that my PC was hacked and that is where all this began. I have a PC with built in firewall and security and I check my business account, my personal account, my kids account my credit cards all from there. There was no problem anywhere except with Santander. 
I am beyond frustrated at this point as I am only getting a run around from all of this. I requested the bank to give me credit for the missing funds so I am not forced out of business and that too never came through. 
Please look into this matter urgently. I am hopeful now that I am reaching out to you all to look into this for me and help get this resolved as soon as possible. 
Thank You XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation