Consumer complaint received 2022-09-29
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: AZ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
- [ ] Cashed check inside chase bank atm - [ ] Hold placed on account. 
- [ ] Called to ask why hold was placed. They said it was because the writer of the checks bank said it would most likely bounce. They said to wait a few days and see. 
- [ ] Waited a few days and still nothing so I went into chase bank and they said I had a restriction placed on just my joint account because of fraud. All they said was it was saying on their screen to call a number. So we called in the bank with a banker with me. Spoke to a gentleman in the back office call was recorded. He told me that chase thinks the check was fraud on my end and that I wrote a fraudulent check. They said they would need to verify. I called the writer of the check but they could not call him from their account. So they told me if I waited 7 days the hold would be removed and the funds would be released because the 7 day period that chase placed in case it was fraud would be over. So I waited 7 days - [ ] Funds pulled from sellers account XX/XX/XXXX - [ ] XX/XX/XXXX : Joint account was closed by chase with no warning, call or anything. XXXX notification. 
- [ ] XX/XX/XXXX : Come 7 days later still nothing. 
- [ ] XX/XX/XXXX : Called my banker XXXX. He called back office and learned that my account was closed completely and that a cashiers check was being sent to me with my balance except the fraudulent check that chase was still holding. In his words chase will exit any relationship that they find is fraudulent. 
- [ ] To fix this issues I was instructed to go into a chase location with the writer of the check so they could manually validate that he did indeed write the check. So I reached out to him and asked to meet him at a location closer to him - [ ] XX/XX/XXXX : woke up to notifications and emails of failed transactions that my other accounts werent working. Pulled up my chase app to find all of my personal accounts restricted showing a large amount being withdrawn. Obviously freaking out now. I call chase number from the chase app. Explain my situation and they transferred me. This guy then verified me with my SSN. I told him everything that happened and then the line was disconnected not by me. Called my banker XXXX and he was apologetic and said he called the back office and they said they cant do anything until I go into a chase location where they can validate the writer and promptly undo this mess - [ ] XX/XX/XXXX : went into chase location with writer of check. I got there about 20 min early and was sitting down with the banker waiting for the writer to show up and he asked me about what was happening so I explained everything. He was shocked and very nice. He began to say things like well unfortunately chase has been very bad about customer service lately, I completely understand if after this you want to use a different bank. Later I asked him if he could see the recorded called from the people Ive talked to in the past because I wanted him to hear the guy who told me it would be a XXXX day wait. He then said something like well I cant see any of that unfortunately, but if your attorneys need that then they can certainly get that info. he said it kinda like he assumed I already had or should have an attorney or something. 
- [ ] Sat down with a banker ( cant remember his name but I can go back ) and called the back office with the writer. They took my id and bank card. As well as the writers ID and 2 Bank cards with his name, company name on it. The banker then pulled up the image of the check I cashed and said this is a perfectly fine check. I see no reason for any of this. I can clearly see the writers name, business name and amount on the check and his id and bank cards as well as on his phone, which they made him sign into his account and show him his phone to scroll and validate. We thought this was all super odd including banker. But the back office on the phone kept insisting he do it. After all this they put us on hold for a while and eventually came back and said it was cleared and that I would have all my account reinstated first thing in the morning with all of my proper balances ready for use. I Clarified several times with him as well that my other accounts were restricted and not closed. 
- [ ] After that we hung up with the back office and - [ ] XX/XX/XXXX : Woke up and now all of my bank accounts are complete gone. They dont exist. Cant find em. Called XXXX again and he confirmed they have been permanently closed. He said that he doesnt know why they told me it would be back in the morning because my accounts were never just restricted. They went straight to closing. I expressed again how upset I was and angered that all of my money was just missing and that no one could offer a clear answer or even proper advice and that chase has now wasted so much of my time, lied to me several times and cost me an opportunity to close on a home because my earnest money is probably somewhere making chase money conveniently.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation