Consumer complaint received 2021-03-14
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: OH
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
FIFTH THIRD locked my account because they said they didn't understand why I was receiving unemployment from a different state than the one I opened my account in 4 years ago. They have so far refused to look at the documentation I provided - paystubs from a factory I worked at and the XXXX XXXX XXXX I worked at, both showing my address, and a SIGNED storage contract with a Georgia storage facility that also had my address listed. 

I opened the account ONLINE. In XXXX I accepted a job in Georgia. I made regular bank transactions at the ATM in XXXX, XXXX A quick check would have proved this. CoVid hit and I was laid off. I received unemployment and had them directly deposited to another bank that I'd been happily banking with - XXXX. But, XXXX is not in Georgia. 

Later in XXXX, I was called back to work. I left Ohio again and went down to Georgia to work. Three months into the contract, the company completed a contract and laid the majority of us off again. 

I resumed unemployment. I chose to use XXXX XXXX for my direct deposits because my funds in that account were low. 

They locked my account. They snail mailed me a letter saying my account was locked and they would need further verification of my identity. 
I spoke to a XXXX XXXX name XXXX. He transferred me to the fraud department and XXXX answered the phone. XXXX told me to bring in a document showing I lived at the address that I was staying at in Georgia ( this was my Aunt 's home ). 
I called back shortly thereafter to see if I could email the information to them. 
This time I spoke with XXXX. XXXX told me to bring in more documentation, but said that I would have to bring the information to a branch to submit it to the fraud department. 
I went down to the branch and explained my situation to the teller who insinuated that I could close the account and access my funds. I told her that this concerned me because I don't want any negative marks on my account. 
She directed me to her manager - XXXX. In the meantime, as I was talking to XXXX, the teller and the XXXX XXXX was having a separate conversation. 
The teller seemed visibly upset and said that I would not be able to close the account and I knew this. The teller said that the analyst said he told me this the night before, and that I would need documentation to send to them. 
This was fine, as I had the documents. I had the documents printed off at the library, and gave the documents to the branch manager, who had the teller fax them over. 
The analyst refused to look at the documents! 
XXXX kept the copy of my ID and another document and ensured me that she would contact me when the account unlocks. 
That was early afternoon. 
I called back several times and found that not only had my documents NOT been looked at but they hadn't been assigned to anyone - as per XXXX ( who seemed to have difficulty understanding why I was calling ). 
The final time I called in, XXXX said that XXXX had my account and that he refused to look at it until 2 business days at least. 
This is unacceptable! They're locking my account, simply because they can! 
Payments for the weeks of XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX totalling {$2200.00}, plus the {$6.00} that I had in the account before directing my deposits to that account are all frozen. 

PLEASE UNLOCK MY ACCOUNT AND RESTORE ACCESS TO MY FUNDS BACK TO ME. 

I have automatic payments that come out of that account. I've gone above and beyond in providing documentation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation