Consumer complaint received 2022-07-13
Company: Comerica
State: MA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Government benefit card
Issue: Problem getting a card or closing an account
Sub-issue: Trouble closing card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022 All my ID documents and my bank card were stolen by an abuser. I have a police report. 
Between XX/XX/2022 to XX/XX/2022 It took many calls and 22 hours on hold get Direct Express to answer the phone. 
I told them of the card and ID theft. They claimed they would cancel the stolen card and would send me a new card. 
A Direct Express Fraud Department agent 'verified ' me by sending a code to my email. 
The Agent said he would debit my account {$18.00} for the new card and it would arrive in 2 days. 
Direct Express had NO hesitation sending a new card to my mom 's address in another state using an email verification code. 

On XX/XX/2022 I called the Direct Express number to activate the new card- after over 5 hours on hold - my call was transferred to the Fraud Dept.

Direct Express Fraud Dept REFUSED activate the new card. 
A Direct express agent ( and a " supervisor '' XXXX ) Demanded front and back copies of my driver license, birth certificate and social security card. XXXX -- ALL THE ID THAT THEY KNEW WAS STOLEN BEFORE THEY SENT A NEW CARD. 
They refused to accept a copy of the police report. 
They refused to verify me using any security questions. 
They refused to verify me using the same email verification code method they've been using for the 3 years I've had DirectExpress. 
MY STALKER/ABUSER/ID THIEF is the ONLY one who has access to the " verification '' documents Direct Express is demanding. He can, and has been, using them to keep draining my account- and Direct Express isn't stopping him. 
ONLY MY EMAIL IS SECURE FOR VERIFICATION. 

Direct Express has KNOWINGLY left a domestic abuse victim stranded, with no access to my own money, food or shelter, and KNOWING my phone wil be shut off any minute. I can not even call for help if my abuser finds me. 
Direct Express " supervisor '' XXXX told me : " Too bad. It's not my problem. If you don't like it have your money deposited somewhere else. '' When I informed her I absolutely intended to make that happen, Direct Express " supervisor '' XXXX said : " Go ahead but if you cancel Direct Express, we're keeping the money in your account and there's nothing you can do about it. '' I tried calling back two days later on XX/XX/2022. Direct Express had voided the card number they sent me and removed my social security number from their system. I now have no way to contact them and no way to get the money they've stolen from my account. 

Even after Direct Express has taken my money and locked me out of my account, they keep sending my personal and contact info to an abusive stalker. They have even given him my mom 's address and phone number - enabling him to Harass and Threaten an XXXX XXXX XXXX Lady. And I have no way to make them Stop endangering me or my mom. 

Comerica Bank has a phone number specifically for complaints against Direct Express XXXX ( press XXXX ). But that only either transfers you to an indefinite hold on Direct Express... or if you get a Comerica person, they take your name and number and tell you they can only pass it along to Direct Express. Good luck with that. I've called Comerica every day for 9 days ( so far ) and still no call back from Direct Express or Comerica. 

It's beyond unacceptable that unvetted, no security clearance, off shore call center employees, are being allowed to make decisions on my Life, my Safety, and deny me access to My own money, while allowing fraud to occur - and that " Direct Express '' isn't being held accountable for ANY of their abhorrent treatment of customers.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation