Consumer complaint received 2022-11-13
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem making or receiving payments

Complaint:
Bank of America, XXXX XXXX BOA XXXXXXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Re : BOA XXXX # XXXX XXXX : Continuing Online Transfer Errors and Data Breach/Corruption Enabled my Identity Theft & Fraudulent Transfers of {$4800.00} from my Checking On my reporting to the BOA  Fraud Department within one hour during the active ongoing Online Fraudulent transfers on XX/XX/XXXX, the Fraud Department told me that it will take 10 days to investigate and deposit the money back in my account. BOA has not yet deposited the {$4800.00} back in my a/c and today is the XXXX  day on XX/XX/XXXX. 

It is shocking to note that BOA Online Banking Portal continues to enable and promote Identity Theft. 

Upon unlocking my a/c access by BOA on XX/XX/XXXX after 13 days of locking, I discovered BOA handed over FULL ( yes FULL ) access to my a/c to another STRANGER BOAs Customer XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX. This Full access includes my User ID, Password, option to change my ID, Password, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX #, XXXX XXXX, and ability to transfer my remaining {$27000.00} on BOAs Online Portal itself. This data breach & comingling customer a/cs may have been going on for many months as I rarely do online banking, and that too for only transferring money to my little XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX based on my annual income. Please see the Attachments. 

Shockingly, BOA also provided me with the same Full ( yes FULL ) access for stealing XXXX XXXX  Identity and transferring her {$95000.00} to anyone and for doing everything mentioned above. Please see the Attachments. 

On XX/XX/XXXX ( PST ), I made Electronic Transfers from my BOA a/c to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX BOA Online Banking Portal from my computer . I received the SUCCESSFUL message and confirmation # XXXX but the transfers below did not go through. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX Then on XX/XX/XXXX, I made the same Electronic Transfers again from my Checking a/c to my Charity. I again received the SUCCESSFUL message and confirmation # XXXX, but these transfers did not go through. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX ; XXXX, XXXX XXXX Then after a week, I went to BOA, XXXX XXXX branch to meet XXXX XXXX XXXX, my XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, to get these BOA Online Banking errors fixed. XXXX XXXX XXXX told me that XXXX is off for a week. 

Then on XX/XX/XXXX, I went again to BOA to meet XXXX, my XXXX XXXXXXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX, Manager mentioned that its XXXX day off. She gave me the XXXX XXXX XXXX Banking XXXX # XXXX to call for assistance in fixing Online Banking XXXX XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX or so, I called NO HOLD Online Banking XXXX Tel and informed them about the XXXX XXXX  debit of {$15000.00} and then requested them to assist/fix BOA online banking transfer issue. I could not hold it any longer, so I told them to resume later. 

On XX/XX/XXXX evening, I got a call from BOAs Fraud Alert Manager XXXX from the same BOA XXXX Banking XXXX XXXX XXXX me if I had charged my XXXX Debit Card for {$980.00} at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I said NO and then XXXX asked me to verify XXXX transactions from my a/c ( XXXX {$61.00}, XXXX of XXXX {$30.00} & Franchise Tax Board {$800.00} ). I confirmed. He took my DMV Lic #, SS #, etc. I had to postpone resolving transfer Errors the next day as it was taking too long. 

The next morning on XX/XX/XXXX the same XXXX, BOA Fraud Alert Manager called back to help me fix the On-line Transfer issue. XXXX asked me to open the App on my Cell phone. I told him that I do not trust Cell Apps to do my banking, so I went to my computer. His calls dropped a few times so I quickly called back to verify and sure enough, XXXX was BOAs authentic Tel #. 

XXXX with the help of his BOA Technical Manager XXXX XXXX in- charge of XXXX XXXX the other line with him ( I did not hear her voice ) assisted me with Online Banking transfer of the same {$2400.00} to my XXXX XXXX XXXX. I immediately opened my XXXX XXXX online portal. I told XXXX that I do not see the deposit in my XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX said, let me deposit that amount back into youre a/c, and lets do it again. He said the system needs to refresh it and it is asking him to verify some information from me. He took my DMV Lic, my middle name, my Full SS #, etc. 

XXXX, BOA then mentioned that he will transfer it again with XXXX more cent i.e. {$2400.00} as their system might reject the same transfer amount while he is waiting for it to refresh. I kept watching both BOA and XXXX XXXX screens on my computer. I saw the money went out from my BOA  XXXX  the 2nd time and it did not reach my XXXX XXXX I clicked Edit in my saved XXXX XXXX and I got a shock when I saw my name ( linked to my cell # ) was XXXX replaced w/ his XXXX XXXX XXXX. I began to replace it with my name, and I demanded XXXX XXXX both transfers back into my BOA  a/c. XXXX wanted me to try it the XXXX time as his XXXX XXXX XXXX is on his other line resolving the issue. I said NO '' I am going to the BOA right now to get the deposits back. 

I rushed to the BOA XXXX XXXX right away to meet my XXXX  manager XXXX to stop the On-going Active Fraud on the BOA Online Banking XXXX XXXX was in a meeting, so I had to wait for XXXX minutes to report the active in-progress fraud before a BOAs associate got their Fraud Department on phone to talk to me. BOA fraud dept lady confirmed that the money went to XXXX XXXX  within XXXX. I strongly urged her to stop the transfer right away. I provided her with my cell phone logs of the exact time and duration of XXXX calls. 

The Fraud Dept lady also mentioned that BOA stopped the 3rd Unauthorized transfer of {$3400.00} from my BOA a/c that I was not even aware of. I asked her when will I get the money back into my a/c and she said after 10 days of investigation by their investigator. Then I asked her for the confirmation/case # and requested her to transfer me to the Investigator and then she put me on a long hold. 

It was XXXX XXXX  and I was worried that this BOAs XXXX may transfer my money from my XXXX XXXX. I abandoned the hold after 15 minutes and drove straight to XXXX XXXX. The XXXX Manager immediately froze my a/cs, changed my pin on my Debit Cards, and changed my online banking password. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I emailed my BOA  manager XXXX to provide me our Claim #, Email, Address, and Tel # for the Fraud Claim Dept ( Attached ). I met him the next day and he gave me XXXX Tel # to call to get the claim #. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I had to call BOA 5 times just to get the Claim #. They kept transferring me to the wrong depts after HOLD and then the line kept getting disconnected after HOLD. On my XXXX call XXXX XXXX, BOA even directed me to call XXXX to get the Claim #. I kind of became upset and told her that I do not know XXXX, I never went to XXXX website, I never downloaded their App on my Cell or Computer and, I do not even do banking on my cell. I always thought XXXX is BOAs feature like XXXX  XXXX. 

After XXXX hours of getting run around, on my XXXX call to BOA, XXXX was kind enough to provide me Claim # XXXX, the email, and the address. I had to go through so much to just get the Claim #. 

I went again to BOA  XXXX XXXX to get my Debit card replaced, close my infected Checking a/c, and open a new a/c. XXXX XXXX, BOAs XXXX XXXX. successfully tracked the IP addresses of the caller besides knowing XXXX XXXX is the recipient of XXXX Funds, and that is good progress for my money back. 

Later I found these texts from XXXX XXXX on my Cell : It seems XXXX & XXXX XXXX opened the Bank Account at XXXX XXXX USING MY IDENTITY AND MY CELL : XXXX Text from XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX  XXXX WON'T CALL for this XXXX XXXX, Enter : XXXX. Don't share! Reply HELP for help, STOP to end msgs. Msg & Date rates apply. 
XXXX XXXX was on the phone w/ me when XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX came so I HAD NO CHANCE TO EVEN READ. 

XXXX Text from XXXX XXXX : " Send Money with XXXX message from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX sent you {$2400.00} " XXXX attempt to Foundation ... '' We'll deposit this Send Money with XXXX payment to your XXXX XXXX account. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to cancel. Msg & Date rates may apply. '' XXXX Text from XXXX XXXX : " Send Money with XXXX message from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX sent you {$2400.00} " XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX ... '' to Foundation ... '' We'll deposit this Send Money with XXXX payment to your XXXX XXXX  account. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to cancel. Msg & Date rates may apply. '' On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX XXXX, ( recipient of my funds ) to inform that XXXX & XXXX XXXX ( fraudsters ) opened my bank a/c at their XXXX XXXX in my name linked to my cell XXXX. XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX  took all the information from me including my Full SS #. She refused to give me any information after my XXXX hours on the phone. 

BOAs Online Banking Transfer Errors, Unauthorized Transfers, compromised database or data breach, and continuing to enable and promote my Identity Theft and fraud on the BOA Online Banking portal can ruin the lives of elderly Americans like me ( XXXX Yrs ). BOA promoted XXXX to me w/ a demo transfer of {$1.00} on XX/XX/XXXX when I informed BOA that I do not want to pay the {$5.00} BOA transfer fee for Bank to Bank transfer to my Charity. BOA online EFT Transfer is designed to steer to the use of XXXX XXXX. 

I can not sleep after knowing that BOA continues to provide FULL ACCESS of all my a/cs to another stranger XXXX in a highly negligent manner DURING BOA Fraud Depts ongoing investigation from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX and STILL ONGOING. It may have been the case for many months prior to that as I rarely do online banking transfers. BOA is the Trustee of my funds, and BOA continues to breach its trust position besides not abiding by the CFPBS EFTA and Regulation E by not returning my hard-earned income of {$4800.00} within 10 + 3 days. 

I am still going through the damage control phase including freezing all my credits, Identity Theft, XXXX, CFPB, FTC, FBI, and filing the Police Report. I have already lost 23 days of my XXXX  at the finishing stage of remodeling and selling a XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX at a critical time of expected 6th interest rate hike causing a drop in property values every week. This XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX represents my 80 hrs./week of hard work for XXXX years ( at age XXXX years ) reserved for my XXXX. 

Respectfully,

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