Consumer complaint received 2015-07-25
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Other bank product/service
Issue: Using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
I doubt this will ever be resolved in my favor, but I 'm willing to explore all possibilities. And if nothing else, maybe my story can warn other consumers who are about to go on California state XXXX. 

Bank of America debit cards are used by California 's XXXX Department in place of XXXX checks : the state sends pre-loaded debit cards to workers out on XXXX leave. I was one of those workers receiving a XXXX benefit after XXXX last year. After my leave was finished and I returned to full-time employment, I was unhappy to learn that my card number had been used by someone other than me and that my card had a zero balance. The number had been used on several occasions, some of which occurred when I was at my office, and there were charges of close to {$500.00} at several XXXX locations within the space of XXXX hours on opposite ends of XXXX XXXX County. These took place on a Sunday when I was at home. 

As the card had never been out of my possession, it was obvious this was a case of fraud. But proving that to B of A has been impossible. I immediately contacted California XXXX, I filed a report with B of A 's Fraud Department, as well as one with the XXXX XXXX County sheriff 's department, and I also contacted each store 's security team. The security staff at one XXXX location, where many of the purchases were made, let me know that they reviewed the recorded footage where the transactions were supposed to have occurred. The register was n't in use at that time. Quite literally, no one was there. While the staff was baffled and concerned, there was nothing they could do. 

Of course, the state of California will not re-imburse me for the stolen " cash. '' B of A insists that these purchases at XXXX were " valid transactions. '' The people with whom I spoke in the bank 's Fraud Dept. told me they hear these stories frequently, and that there was nothing they could do. 

I am SURE I am not the only person on XXXX who has experienced this. There must be hundreds of people being victimized like this at any XXXX time. Obviously this system does n't work real well! But here 's the thing : {$500.00} is not going to break me. But for some older, unwell person who is depending on that money, {$500.00} could mean the difference between eating and starving, or living under a roof as opposed to living in one 's vehicle. 

Friends and co-workers who have been on state XXXX tell me the only way to beat the crooks is to withdraw every cent on that debit card the moment it is issued. I now understand this, but I am appalled that the state of California, knowing that this is flawed system, continues to utilize it. In no way does this practice help the people who are supposed to be getting benefits. And shame on B of A for refusing to help a consumer who has gone out of her way over the course of several weeks to gather evidence, file reports and do all the legwork. This lax attitude is the reason this bank is now on my list of institutions with whom I 'll never do business.

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation