Consumer complaint received 2020-03-09
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CT
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
I had received an offer to advertise on my car by applying a decal to my window. So I applied on the XXXX website. I was contacted by someone named XXXX XXXX ( ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) saying he was a XXXX Hiring Manager and stated I was approved for the job and should be expecting first payment in the mail. I was contacted back that I should be expecting the check that day. I received the check that day and mobile deposited it into my bank account. Bank of America ( where I had been a customer for 10 years ) showed that it would clear in about 4 days. 2 days later my debit card wouldn't work, and when I tried to open the app it said I didn't have an active account. I called the bank to find out what was going on and I was informed that my account was closed because the check I had deposited was a fraudulent check. The check had no signs that it was not a legitimate check, all security features where in tact and did not look manipulated in any way. I brought the check I had mobile deposited into the bank at the XXXX office and the teller took it to the branch manager to look at it and neither one saw anything that would make them question the validity of the check. It then took multiple phone calls to be able to withdraw the remainder of my money minus the returned check fee. I asked what would happen to my direct deposit I was expecting the next day and was told that it would be rejected and sent back to my employer. So I reached out to my job and let them know that this would happen. They would watch out for it and overnight me a check as soon as it kicked back. I opened a new checking account at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and deposited what I had withdrawn into that account. To my surprise on Saturday morning I was surprised to get a text message that my balance had gone up and included my paycheck direct deposit. So I went into the local branch to get my money that I needed to pay bills, buy groceries and get gas. I was told by the teller that I could not withdraw the money and needed to call the Bank of America account closure department. When I tried to call I found out that they were closed on the weekend. So I then called first thing Monday morning to get the release of the funds. I was informed that I had to submit a request and it would 1-5 days for it to be approved and I should call back in regularly to see when it was approved. I kept calling 1-2 times each day and kept being told that it was not yet approved. All along I continued to get the daily text messages telling me my balance. On Thursday at XXXX I got a text message that my balance was now XXXX, which was alarming and worrisome since I had not gotten the approval to come in to get my money. So I called Bank of America again and I was told by XXXX that my request to pick up my money at a local branch was denied, I asked him why it would be denied and he said because I didn't state what I would use the money for. At this point I was shocked I had not been asked that question and I had no nefarious plans, but it was my money, and I wondered if they had a right to ask that. I asked if I could please talk to his manager and was put on hold for an extended amount of time. Then he connected my to his manager XXXX, she told me that my request had not been denied and she didn't know why he told me that or why my balance was sent to me as {$0.00} and that I could go into the local branch and get my money. I asked her to confirm that I could go right now into the local branch and get it, she assured me I could. I drove right over to the nearest Bank of America branch which was a little farther because my local branch had closed. I got there at XXXX to find out that all near by branches close at XXXX. Then on my way back home I stopped at the store to pick up a couple of groceries and my new XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  card was declined, so I went over to the teller to see why. I found out that their back office had given the directive to close my account. I went to Bank of America the next morning and got the rest of my money and called back the Closed Account department to ask if they had put me on some kind of list and they told me that I was reported on the XXXX XXXX list. I asked why when I did not commit any fraud, that it was me that was scammed and I was told I had no recourse. I have since also tried to open account at XXXX and was denied. This must have happened on the day I finally got my money. I now seem to be blacklisted from opening any accounts even secured ones. How am I supposed to deposit pay checks and pay bills without a bank account? I feel like I am the one being treated like a criminal and this was all after being a 10 year account holder at Bank of America. I should have some recourse to state my case to be removed from any negative lists. Please help.

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 non-monetary relief