Consumer complaint received 2018-01-23
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I am a XXXX customer and attempted to send money to a friend on XX/XX/XXXX using XXXX through XXXX on XXXX. The original transaction was canceled because I had never used online banking before. They asked me to come into a branch to verify the transaction, which I did. The XXXX banker ( XXXX ) at the XXXX, CA who helped me was great and we called the XXXX for XXXX through XXXX representative to verify that it was a valid transaction.

Unfortunately, the phone representative went ahead with the original transaction, even though I said the recipient 's phone number was flipped although the name is correct. The recipient is my friend, and the amount was for {$910.00}. The phone representative was hard to understand and both XXXX and I could not understand when he said things such as his name. He assured us that the transaction would be completed with the updated and correct phone number.

On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a complaint with XXXX because my friend had not received the funds and the account summary showed it went to the wrong number. My friend 's phone number ends with XXXX but the funds were deposited to a number ending in -XXXX. The person received a text with my name and my friend 's name and knowingly took the money even though it was obvious that the money was not meant for them.

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX closed the claim saying that there 's nothing they can do. They said my only recourse is to contact XXXX. XXXX XXXX that because I used XXXX and not their mobile app, they could not help me. Both companies are pointing fingers while someone has taken {$910.00} from me and as a student living off financial aid, this is a significant amount of money for me.

I called the person who fraudulently deposited the money and left a message and sent a text saying I need them to contact me before XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX so we can resolve this issue and they can transfer the funds back to me. I also went to Bank of America in XXXX XXXX, where I spoke with XXXX XXXX  and XXXX, the bank manager. This visit occurred at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I told XXXX that one of their customers fraudulently took the funds that were obviously meant for someone else and XXXX was extremely condescending saying that there 's nothing I can do. I said that I could file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a police report naming Bank of America for being complicit in the fraudulent transaction and she said I can file all the reports that I want but I wo n't get my money back because I agreed to the terms and conditions of XXXX.

I followed up with visit with a trip to the same XXXX XXXX  location, where I spoke with XXXX, a banker who was extremely kind and said that XXXX at Bank of America is wrong, as it does n't matter what the terms and conditions are since she became aware of the fraudulent transaction when I told her and she did nothing about it. This makes me concerned that there are many victims of fraud through XXXX and banking institutions are not doing anything about it while knowing about the fraud, yet still advertising the service through their websites and advertisements.

XXXX said that they 'll investigate further and their banker XXXX said that he will call me back but he does n't know what the chances are that I 'll get my money back or that it will go to the correct recipient, my friend. I am also frustrated that XXXX at Bank of America in XXXX XXXX, CA is aware of the fraud and yet did not seem concerned and refused to contact their customer about this situation. She kept saying that there 's no way they can help.

Thank you so much for your help. I hope to get this resolved as soon as possible and appreciate your aid.

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