Consumer complaint received 2020-01-13
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Non-sufficient funds and associated fees

Complaint:
There was recently some suspicious/fraudulent activity that happened on my XXXX XXXX account shortly after the realization that I lost my debit card. I contacted my bank during the first week of XXXX because there was a block on my account which had never happened before. I have had this same Checking Account with Chase for about 4 years now. I bank directly with the branch in XXXX XXXX, FL and sometimes I go to the branch in XXXX, FL if I am not in the area. My transactions have been consistent for years, I have the same direct deposit every two weeks, teller assisted withdrawals every two weeks in XXXX XXXX to pay for Daycare, similar spending habits and bill pay online, I use XXXX for rent, and my debit card for XXXX and XXXX. So it did not make any sense as to why there was a block in the first place that day. I called to get the block removed, although by that time I made my purchase with cash while I was out. About 4 days later I realized I lost my debit card when I kept getting notifications to authorize large deposit and withdrawal transactions to my email while I was work. I did not authorize nor did I have anything to do with these transactions.I just read the emails and proceeded to calling Chase customer service to find out what was going on. 

The random deposits happened around XX/XX/XXXX coming from a merchant named XXXX XXXX which I researched and turned out to be a money lending company. I did not request any loans from them or anyone for that matter. I work full time for the school board and I get paid every other Friday. These false " deposits '' where made and almost instantly withdrawn from my account during the same day. There was one in the amount of {$400.00} and two in the amount of {$500.00} that where first deposited and then withdrawn for the same exact amount. I knew something was wrong and I called Chase to report it. They blocked my debit card again, said they were sending me a new one in the mail and they would rectify the issue on my account. It took about one and a half to two weeks for a reversal of funds to be made on my account. Mind you, I never authorized nor filed for any loans so that reversal of funds should not have been made to my account it should have been returned to wherever they came from. I called Chase again to take those funds out of my account. I spent alot of time on the phone being transferred to different representatives in different departments until they told me they would return the funds to " the merchant '' which I am assuming is wherever the funds magically came from in the first place. They then proceeded to reverse the funds I believe on or about XX/XX/XXXX to the merchant and after the whole ordeal my account was finally back in order with my own transactions, deposits and real use. 

Later, on XX/XX/XXXX I notice that there was a duplicate reversal in the amount of {$400.00} and two in the amount of {$500.00} from my account again. Along with that reversal my own personal funds that was from my paycheck from work which was about {$150.00} was taken out of account leaving me negative almost - {$1300.00}. I called Chase to ask why a reversal for the same amount was done in the end of XXXX and then again a few days later and that there had to be a mistake. The first guy on the phone was helpful and trying to get me to understand that it was a mistake. He then proceeded to tell me that it wasn't a mistake that Chase had denied my fraud claim and reversed all that money from the original fraudulent deposit/withdrawals from me and that now I owed the bank which I still didn't understand. He then transferred me to a " supervisor '' which I am not even sure if it was a supervisor lady who told me my claim was denied because there was " no incorrect pin attempt ''. I do not know how or why there was no incorrect pin attempt or even how these attempts where made so I asked if she could give me more information regarding the investigation and who, how, and where these attempts had taken place. She was very vague, told me she was very sorry and that my next step was to contact the police. I didn't know what I was supposed to tell them since I had no idea how or where or the exact time frame I lost my card, or where these funds came from or who withdrew them from the account the month prior. 

I cried and waited a day to cool down and I was just going to give up and loose my checking account and the fact that they took my actual funds in the amount of about {$150.00} which has already left me two weeks behind on child care. I make {$820.00} every two weeks, I XXXX about {$460.00} every two weeks for rent and pay {$33.00} for internet, about {$150.00} for XXXX and {$90.00} for car insurance monthly with my paycheck money. I do not ever deposit or withdraw such large amounts like $ XXXX out of nowhere. So I called again asking to please get more information about the investigation they said they made to see if they knew where or how this happened. The guy I spoke to that time placed me on a long hold and when he finally came back was so rude rushing me off the phone saying he couldn't send me a report of their investigation ( probably because they never did one ) and then proceeded to tell me the most ridiculous thing I ever heard anyone say " this happened at an ATM you normally use ''. Right then and there I realized Chase never did an investigation at all. Its so easy to see because I do not normally use ATM 's and I knew he was lying. I normally withdraw {$130.00} from the teller in XXXX XXXX because its not an even amount an that's what I pay the daycare, I use XXXX and pay my two other bills online. That's how I knew they just simply made up something about no incorrect pin attempts/ and then made up that I normally use ATM 's -- they didn't actually look into the claim at all. And to make matters even worse on their end, I called again to get his name so that I can file this claim and give you his name, because he lied even more saying he couldn't send me a report of their investigation but if they had really done an investigation why wouldn't I have the right to see a copy of that report??? The lady that answered said she would look in the notes and didn't give me his name she tried to persuade me by saying she would send me a letter as to why my claim was denied. Which was just a letter saying " NO INCORRECT PIN ATTEMPT ''. And on the phone she gave me a little more information saying that the ATM where the withdrawals happened were in XXXX, FL and some other city I can't remember which are like an hour south of my workplace and my home. SO after all of this I realize they never investigated the claim, they wont send me a copy of this non-existent investigation, they withhold their names and they want to send my account to collections and take my only funds I had that actually belonged to me. 

I would like to know if there is anything else or anyone else I can reach regarding this, and see if they can properly review and investigate the claim.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation