Consumer complaint received 2020-12-28
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: GA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
This complaint is about the unprofessional handling of SunTrust with clients who have accounts that are compromised. Suntrust is now also called Truist but I will refer to the bank as SunTrust. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a fraudulent call from someone who was masquerading as a SunTrust employee. The phone call came from an actual SunTrust phone number and the person used the same speaking pattern and asked for the same credentials that normal SunTrust employees use. He asked claiming there was a fraudulent transaction attempt on my card and asked to verify myself as the primary account holder. He asked for the last for numbers on my account, my security question, and my pin ( which are normal questions SunTrust asks over the phone ). But when he started asking for my username and password, I became suspicious of the call and refused to give him this information. 

Within the 5 minutes after this call, I called the same number back and it directed me to SunTrust. I immediately got hold of the Fraud Department and asked them if I was called. The first person I spoke to was a woman named XXXX and she verified that SunTrust did not call me that day. I was already on route to a physical SunTrust location as well so she hung up the phone. I was under the impression she already marked my account as being compromised but she didn't. 

There was no banker on site at the XXXX XXXX location I went to in Georgia. So I was merely advised to open a separate checking account myself and transfer all my money there. At this point I also went ahead and changed my password, username, and security questions for my account. Transferring my money caused an overdraft fee that I also had to pay myself even though this whole situation could've been handled by an actual employee of SunTrust. But instead I was made to do it all myself. 

I called back again an hour later ( around XXXX XXXX ) to ask for an expedited card. I talked to an employee who gave me her name as XXXX. It was then I found out that my first checking account was never marked as fraudulent or compromised. Frustrated, I asked XXXX what can I do to protect my account and my identity. But instead of answering my question, she just kept repeatedly asking me if she should send me a card for my new account or if I want to go in person to a physical branch. She kept repeating that the same cellular number I was calling from and the same number I used to open the account could not be authenticated. She didn't listen to any of my concerns, offer any suggestions, and gave me the impression that she tuned me out then entire time. I asked her for a manager but she insisted no manager would be available until XXXX XXXX. Why suddenly were there no managers available or why would they be available after XXXX  but not at XXXX  made no sense but I requested it anyway. 

That night I received a call from an unknown number. Afraid of any more fraud calls, I didn't answer. After getting a voice mail, I realized it was a manager with SunTrust. I don't understand why they wouldn't use the SunTrust number to call me. 

The next day, on XX/XX/XXXX, I went in person to the physical bank branch at XXXX XXXX  via appointment at XXXX XXXX. I spoke to a banker by the name of XXXX XXXX. After verifying with her about the situation, she didn't want to acknowledge that this could have been a disgruntled SunTrust employee who has my account information. She also didn't want to admit that I could be a victim of the XXXX SunTrust hack where information on millions of SunTrust clients were stolen. She kept trying to push the blame onto me and kept trying to state that SunTrust wasn't responsible. She also commented about how extensive the SunTrust notation system was even though I pointed out that the first person I spoke to ( XXXX ) didn't even flag my checking account as compromised. There also was no notation regarding my attempts to notify SunTrust of the Fraud information and my request to protect myself. When frustrated, all she kept doing was asking me what I want to do. I asked her to close the checking account that was compromised and expedite a card for me for the new checking account. And as far as identity protection measures, all she offered was to get a higher tier account with SunTrust and pay to protect myself. Why would I deepen this relationship with SunTrust when they have just proven they don't care about their customers? 

Thinking that everything will soon be taken care of, I left her office. The compromised checking account disappeared from my mobile App and I was under the impression everything will be fine. However, the next morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ) at XXXX XXXX., I woke up to a fraudulent charge of {$500.00} for a XXXX XXXX ACH transaction. Panicked, I called SunTrust again. I spoke to a man named XXXX with the Fraud department and told him about the situation. All Suntrust at this point wanted was a audio recording of me stating it wasn't me who wanted did the transaction. XXXX could not explain to me why the checking account wasn't fully removed. In fact, despite being assured that SunTrust had an extensive and dependable notation system, XXXX told me the request to close the compromised checking account was done on the XXXX. How could that be possible when I went in person to request closure on the XX/XX/XXXX with XXXX XXXX? 

I don't understand if I did all I could to try and prevent fraudulent activity, why SunTrust could allow it to happen anyway. XXXX sounded like the first experienced and component person in the Fraud Department at SunTrust. However, I kept getting told that the Fraud department doesn't have the " knowledge '' to close accounts. If thats true, could SunTrust not just tell me that and transfer me to someone who can? 

At this point, I needed someone at a higher tier. I asked to speak to the manager at the Fraud Department. I waited another 40 or so minutes for a manager with the Fraud department. He already came to the phone ready to fight with me. He also kept insisting that the Fraud department can't close accounts. I asked him why then did their notation state that my request to close the account came in on the XX/XX/XXXX when I've spoken to only the Fraud Department on that date. Then I asked him why the first person I spoke to ( XXXX ) didn't mark my account as compromised when I called her. 

The phone mysteriously hung up and I never got a call back from him. 

I then decide to call XXXX XXXX. On first being answered by the XXXX XXXX branch, the woman who answered the phone was very rude. I told her I was calling regarding a fraud case and she tried to tell me SunTrust would be have caught it if I already reported it. I told her that was a lie because I had to call to notify SunTrust and she kept cutting me off stating " ma'am let me finish. '' She was very rude and knowing she was, she refused to give me her name every time i asked. She put me on hold for 50 minutes while I waited for XXXX XXXX to come to the phone. 

When XXXX  answered she was very short with me. She kept repeating she doesn't have time because she has other clients waiting and she could try to call me later. I asked her why she, nor anyone else at SunTrust, didn't put a transaction freeze on my checking account when I notified SunTrust my account was compromised. The first reaction she had was a " Oh yeah '' as if it completely slipped her mind that was a course of action that I could take. Then she told me to call the 800 number again to get that done. It's obvious now the Fraud Department is so vastly unprofessional so there was no point.

I asked to speak to her manager. She told me the branch manager was out and wouldn't return until a week later. It was after continuously stating that in the event of emergencies, who does she report to. No company leaves without leaving behind a line of command for emergencies when individuals are out. It was then that she revealed that the branch manager isn't even her boss but it's someone who works at a different location by then name of XXXX XXXX. 

I called XXXX XXXX and honestly she was the first understanding and polite person I spoke to at Suntrust in the entire 3 days dealing with this. She put a freeze on my account and offered to put my complaints to higher management. I don't know if she did but she tried to assure me that SunTrust will be on top of the new case I opened with the fraudulent {$500.00} transaction. She also told me she was going to give my case to another person at her branch because she was going on vacation the next day. And that she would call me by the end of day. But she, nor the second person she referred me to, never called me back. 

At this point I am fully convinced that Suntrust ( now Truist ) does not care about their clients being compromised nor do they care about client information being stolen until it costs SunTrust money out. I went into the physical branch that XXXX worked at in XXXX, and pulled out all my money, with a requested to close all my accounts. The new checking account I had opened wasn't closed even after days of waiting. I also called the FDIC to complain and was referred to call SunTrust 's ( now Truist ) main branch in North Carolina. I left a message with my name and phone number at their office on the same day ( XX/XX/XXXX ) with a few details about the case. I have yet to receive a call back. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted SunTrust/Truist via messaging to close the remaining account. SunTrust doesn't care to handle any compromised accounts, nor offer any sort of help for clients. SunTrust also highly speaks about their extensive notation but it's clear that their notation system doesn't work. There is no communication through the different departments and the departments like to throw up hands and claim they can't handle things. From this experience, I've learned that Suntrust doesn't care to take any responsibility or accountability and is ready to blame anyone but themselves. 

I will recommend to anyone who cares about their money and their identity to never bank with SunTrust.

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 monetary relief