Consumer complaint received 2023-05-30
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: MI
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX My phone number was hacked and taken over through XXXX XXXX  and ported over to XXXX prepaid, from there the person used my number to hack into my email. They then used my email to set up XXXX XXXX and transfer XXXX XXXX out of my account in 2 separate transactions. One for XXXX XXXX and one for XXXX XXXX to an account with the name XXXX XXXX. Because they had taken over my phone number they were able to recieve the authorizarion code from XXXX. Because this was a Saturday I was unable to contact fifth third bank until Monday XXXX XXXX. I did however contact customer service at XXXX and let them know the situation and have them remove the XXXX from my account and note that it was not me that authorized the transactions. XXXX XXXX was also unable to recover my phone number. Thus causing me to have to get an entirely new number. On Monday the XXXX I went into the fifth third location in XXXX Michigan where I reside and spoke with XXXX XXXX, whom also had the same situation happen to her in XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX updated my contact information that day to the new number I had to get and set my account up for no online access as well as started the disputes on my account. From there I filed a police report ( report # XXXX XXXX XXXX for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I filed a complaint with the FBI cyber crimes unit, as well as locked all of my credit reports down as this person had access to my entire bank account and tax return information through my email. Fifth third then after 30 days approved the return of the XXXX XXXX charge but not the XXXX XXXX  charge. Stating that because they had the code sent to my number it was a valid transaction. I spoke with XXXX in regards to the denial she then filed another dispute with more detailed notes, including the police report. Fifth third has again denied the return of the XXXX XXXX charge. When I called to speak to a supervisor in regards to why she again stated that there was no proof my phone number was hacked. When I questioned if during they're investigation they got in touch with XXXX in regards to the notes from the day it happened she stated all they did was determine the code was used. I then asked if they verified the IP address the charges were made from, were from my phones IP address, she then became very rude and load stating that no they don't use IP address information only the verification code proof. She then stated I needed to provide more proof. When I asked what more specific proof I needed to provide aside from what I already had, she couldn't tell me directly what else I needed. I was in the process of trying to purchase a house when this all happened, however had to put that on hold because the account needed to remain open with a XXXX hold on it so that if they gave me the money back, it could go into the account in which it came out of. We are running the risk of losing out on our home with being unable to proceed with the buying process by having that account open in hopes of our money being returned. Banks are supposed to be secure with our money, and I've now spent almost 4 months fighting to get back the money I trusted to them with. I have attached the receipt from having to get a new number, the emails of the XXXX transactions, as well as where the charges came from, on an XXXX Device of which I don't have, I have an XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief