Consumer complaint received 2023-01-26
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Cashing a check
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (CA)

On XX/XX/XXXX, my husband wrote, signed, and endorsed a check to move {$7000.00} from our shared Chase checking account to his XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX IRA account. The check was mailed out on XX/XX/XXXX in an envelope along with a XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX, which included the relevant check number, amount, and date. The checks memo was explicitly written as IRA [ ACCOUNT NUMBER ] and was signed and endorsed on the back by him. 

On XX/XX/XXXX we received an envelope from the Postmaster of XXXX, XXXX XXXX, containing the opened envelope, which no longer contained the check, along with a notice that we, may have been the victim of mail theft or identity theft. We went to our local Chase Branch XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ) and were told that that on XX/XX/XXXX, the check had been deposited into a XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX account. The text Pay to the order of : XXXX XXXX had been written in someone elses handwriting underneath my husbands signature in the endorsement section of the check. We picked up a Declaration of Unauthorized Endorsement or Altered Item form from the branch. On the same day, we also reported the mail theft to the XXXX XXXX Police Department ( XXXX XXXX, Badge # XXXX ; Case Number XXXX ). We also called XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX and were told to file our issue with Chase, who would then contact XXXX XXXX  XXXX when necessary. 

On XX/XX/XXXX we called the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX to file a claim ( Claim Number : XXXX ). On this day we also submitted our completed Declaration of Unauthorized Endorsement or Altered Item at our local Chase branch. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter from Chase requesting additional information to complete their research. We faxed all relevant documents to them. The next day, I called to confirm that they had received the faxed documents. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I called Chase and were informed that on XX/XX/XXXX, they had sent our claims information to XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX to request a reimbursement, with a response expected in 60 days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX and was told that processing the claim ( XXXX ) would be finished in another 60 days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called Chase and was told to expect a response from XXXX XXXX XXXX in an additional 30 days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX XXXX  XXXX and was told that the case should be resolved by XX/XX/XXXX, a total of 90 days since they received an inquiry from Chase. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from Chase that XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX had denied their request to reimburse us. I called Chase, who told us that XXXX XXXX XXXX had denied our claim since the signature in the endorsement section was real. I called XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), who asked me to call Chase ( XXXX ) to re-file the claim with XXXX XXXX  XXXX as a case of altered check endorsement. After calling Chase, I was told by Chase that they would not refile a claim, as, anyone can modify the endorsement section of a check to include pay to the order of and deposit it into another account if a signature is present. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) informing me that I need to contact Chase and instruct them to contact XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Fraud Department to resolve this complaint. This conflicts with the statement I previously received from Chase on XX/XX/XXXX, which informed me that XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX had assessed the information provided to them by Chase and elected to not reimburse me for the check. She told me that resolving issues associated with this check is XXXX responsibility, as the check originated from a Chase account. This conflicts with information from Chase, who insist that the bank at which the check was cashed is responsible. She also informed me that XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX would not be able to investigate the account to which our check was deposited unless a law enforcement agency contacted them regarding this case. She also insisted that she could not understand me and, when I asked to speak with her supervisor, she insisted that they were not available and that regardless of who I spoke with, the answer would be the same. I informed her that I would file another complaint regarding our unresolved check issue with the CFPB. 

XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX official response to the CFPB complaint was : At XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, keeping information secure and confidential is one of our most important responsibilities. Please understand that our privacy policy does not allow us to disclose any details about accounts at XXXX XXXX XXXX that you do not own. Our records do not reflect that you are an authorized signer on the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX account referenced in your inquiry. As such, we are unable to release any account information to you. 
We must suggest that you work with your financial institution directly to settle this matter. We regret the circumstances that led to your inquiry. Rest assured that we will fully cooperate with any law enforcement agency if we are contacted about a fraud investigation. 

This response is not satisfactory, as my previous complaints proposed fair resolution did not include release of XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX account information to me. Additionally, the response does not address how an inability to release private account information to me, personally, prevents a reimbursement of money fraudulently deposited via a clearly altered check. Money from my Chase account was deposited/cashed into this XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX account with disregard for the checks signature, listed payee, and memo, which explicitly noted the intended account as being an IRA along with the XXXX account number, but I fail to see how reimbursement would compromise that accounts privacy. Again, this conclusions insistence that I work with my financial institution directly also conflicts with the statement I previously received from Chase on XX/XX/XXXX, which informed me that XXXX XXXX XXXX had already received and assessed the information provided to them by Chase and elected to not reimburse me for the check I called Chase ( XXXX ) on the same day, talked to XXXX, and was told that the responsibility for the checks fraudulent deposit rests with XXXX XXXX XXXX, which deposited/cashed the altered check without sufficiently assessing its validity. XXXX instructed me to file another CFPB complaint regarding this incident with Chase listed as the relevant institution so that they could reopen the case on their end.