Consumer complaint received 2021-12-09
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: GA
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Problem with fees charged

Complaint:
This is a continuation of a bank fraud report completed on XX/XX/XXXX ID # XXXX. The initial complaint named XXXX XXXX XXXX as part of a widespread XXXX Billing Scheme that involved large sums of money that were being embezzled. Please find below other identified Banking institutions apart of this scheme. 

XXXXXXXX XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX during a scheduled appointment at the XXXX branch to open both a personal and business account, it was discovered that a business account had already been opened in my business name ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) without my knowledge or consent. The account after further review by the banker showed as active but had no information regarding who opened the account or any transaction history. An interesting fact is that this is the bank that financed my XXXX XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXX of XXXX, Georgia. I have never entered into a XXXXXXXX XXXX branch prior to this scheduled visit. All loan payments on the auto loan financed by XXXXXXXX XXXX were automatically drafted through my companys business account. Based on other occurrences at several other banks, it is strongly probable that payments in the exact amount of the auto loan were doubled and paid to a bank employee to assist in opening and maintaining the fraudulent bank account in my business name. The payment schedule was from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. 

SUNTRUST BANK In XX/XX/XXXX while sorting through paperwork found in the office of the previous CFO, a printout of payments for a vehicle purchased by my company from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX financed through Suntrust Bank was discovered. After further research of XXXX XXXX  statements it was found that the dates of the payments did not match the printout found. These payments were automatically debited each month around the XXXX. Further the bank name included a second bank listed as if it was a fund account within Suntrust Bank. On XX/XX/XXXX I visited a Suntrust branch in XXXX Georgia to request a payment history for the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and to inquire about a possible banking account. The banker stated that no information was available for the auto loan that was recently paid in full XX/XX/XXXX. She stated that it was strange to see that. She requested a copy of the statement and stated that it would be mailed to me within 15 days. As for the business banking account, no information was available because the 7 year time limit had been exceeded. I do remember opening up this account in XXXX Georgia during the time the company was expanded business in that area. The purpose of this account was for CONSTRUCTION purposes only. There should be no other activity involving business in regards to accounts receivables or any other transactions. I believe the banker stated that this account history was from XXXX through XXXX. The auto loan span from XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Around XX/XX/XXXX after receiving an alert from my XXXX XXXX monitoring account that stated that there had been a change to one of my accounts I decided to phone XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. The statement that one of my accounts may have changed is what prompted this call. I have never had any account with XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX other than a home loan. That call to the XXXX number led to the representative stating that a XXXX  had been added to my home loan account due to the bank updating itss account number system. Around XX/XX/XXXX while sorting through paperwork at home I ran across the LEVY paperwork sent by the IRS due to a large sum of taxes due. It listed all financial institutions that I had a financial relationship withXXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX was one of them. Confused I decided to call customer service and asked if I had a business account set up with XXXX  XXXX XXXX. The rep located the business account but could not discuss any matters concerning the account because I could not correctly identify it based on the Tax ID. Two times more I called hoping to get a different rep that would identify the account listed in my business name. The second call was identical to the first call. The third call revealed that there was no listing of a business account in my business name. The account had been either hidden or removed. A report of this finding was made to the IRS officer via email. Around XX/XX/XXXX a call was received from XXXX asking if I needed an extension on my COVID-19 Forbearance for my home loan. The extension was processed over the phone. On XX/XX/XXXX a package from XXXX was received requesting to complete a COVID-19 repayment plan that would allow my payments that had been placed on hold to be put on the back of the loan and for payments to begin XX/XX/XXXX. Confused I phoned XXXX  especially after seeing the account number missing the XXXX  that I had phoned about back in XXXX. The rep did not do a good job in explaining why most of my statement included the XXXX  in front of the other account numbers and the information that had been delivered to my door did not contain the XXXX. She transferred me to another rep who stated that usually in the beginning of a loan the XXXX  would accompany the front of the account number and s time goes on the XXXX  would eventually fall off. She stated that it was the same account. On XX/XX/XXXX a phone call was received from a XXXX representative asking if I had received the request. I stated that I did receive it and had until XX/XX/XXXX to return it. I asked why the document stated that payments would begin XX/XX/XXXX and she explained that the forbearance amount would be placed on the back end of the loan and that payments would resume in XX/XX/XXXX. Confused again I asked why she would be calling regarding the restart of payment for the loan when a representative had just reached out to me some two weeks prior completing an extension on the loan. She replied with oh you got an extension completed? I responded with yes, I did. She went on to say that if that was the case, I did not need to return the information as that would start repayment of the loan again. The issues identified here are 1. There is/was a business account listed in my business name that suddenly did not exist anymore and 2. The addition of the XXXX XXXXn front of my home loan obviously are two separate accounts that one of these accounts may have been set up as payment to a bank employee for the creation and ongoing care of the fraudulent business account. This account history spans from XX/XX/XXXX to present. 

XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX a follow-up call was made to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Committee with XXXX regarding REF # XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, Ref # XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and Ref # XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. A 10 Day window had been given to me as the amount of time XXXX XXXX would need to investigate the initial denial of the claim. During the XX/XX/XXXX call I was told that because the discrepancies totaling some XXXX XXXX dollars had not been reported within the banks 30 Day documented policy, they would not be able to assist me further. I explained that it was not discovered within 30 days because the deposits and withdrawals were not made available via mobile app. In short, they were hidden. Despite my attempt to show this as a special case that should allow the bank to consider reimbursing all funds back into the account, XXXX XXXX held to his initial decision. XX/XX/XXXX was the report date of all fraudulent checks and on XX/XX/XXXX an initial denial decision was made stating that the time allotted for reporting had been exceeded and that the signatures on the checks matched the signature on file. In addition, it was noted that the home loan through XXXX had double payments but only the higher amount of the two checks written were documented for purposes of the home loan. That amount usually exceeded the amount written by me each month in the amount of XXXX. This account is the legal business account of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX since XXXX. Also, there was a line of credit and credit card with XXXX that was also used in this fraudulent scheme to embezzle money where there were periods of time extra sums of money were paid on the account and obviously withdrawn as part of the embezzlement. 

In closing, it appears that all four of these banking institutions set up accounts in my business name to receive Federal and State XXXX funds directly or indirectly in this elaborate billing scheme that was initiated by former employees expanding the financial personal gain for other individuals throughout the community and possibly other cities within the XXXX of Georgia. 

Regards XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX cell

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