Consumer complaint received 2023-09-06
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (IL)

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received notice from my bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co ( Chase ), of a potentially fraudulent charge on my debit card. I reviewed the charge and determined that it was fraudulent. I declined the charge and Chase canceled my debit card at the time and ordered me a new one. 


On XX/XX/XXXX, I received notification from Chase that someone had again attempted to use a debit card in my name fraudulently. I checked the last four digits of the card Chase said had been used, and determined that those four digits ( XXXX ) didnt match the last four numbers for any card that either my spouse or I have ever possessed. I declined that transaction as well. I then received a call from someone purporting to be aligned with the Chase fraud department ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ), who told me that my PIN number had been compromised and that I need to change it. I complied by entering my PIN number, and received a new number in return. I now believe this was a fraudulent call, but didnt recognize it as such at the time. 


Later in the day, after the second attempt to use a debit card in my name had been attempted, I opened up my wifes mobile banking app to check on the attempted purchases. This is when I noticed that my savings account had had {$3500.00} withdrawn from it approximately half an hour prior. I confirmed with my spouse that she hadnt made that withdrawal, and called Chases fraud hotline. There I reported the fraudulent charge, which appeared to be a wire transfer that was still marked as pending. I urged them to cancel the charge. They recommended that the next day I go into a chase bank and change my account information. They opened an investigation into the alleged fraud and told me theyd be in touch. They did not cancel the pending fraudulent transaction. They did not contact me again for further information. 


The next day, XX/XX/XXXX, I went into my local chase bank at XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX Il. There I changed my account information and inquired into the details of the fraudulent transaction. A chase employee was able to pull up the transaction from the day before. She was able to tell me that the person went into a chase bank in XXXX XXXX located at XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX is a suburb of XXXX and an approximately three hour drive from my home. The withdrawal took place at XXXX in the afternoon, and that teller # XXXX assisted the person who made the fraudulent transaction. The transaction was made using my PIN number, though the person assisting me couldnt say what form of ID was used. Additionally, I learned that the card ending in XXXX, which had been the second attempted fraudulent debit card transaction, had been opened the day before. A card bearing my name had been sent to an address in XXXX Il, a suburb of XXXX XXXX XXXX, approximately an hour and a half south of my home address. 


On Sunday XXXX my wife received notification from Chase that they would not be refunding the money taken from our savings account. The letter stated that the fraud team determined that the withdrawal was either authorized by me, or that we benefited from the withdrawal. I called the number provided in the letter to ask questions and spoke to an agent for chase. She told me that the issue was that, since I hadnt reported my card lost or missing ( my card during all relevant points of this issue was non functioning, but had remained in my possession ) and since the withdrawal was used using my pin, Chase wouldnt be able to prove fraud. I filed a complaint citing in part that I believed the decision was made without all the facts, but was told that there was no appeal process and that the customer claims departments decision was final. 


On XXXX I filed a police report regarding the theft and gave the salient details. At the time of this complaint ( XXXX ) have not yet heard more from the police. I hadnt filed prior to this because I had believed Chases fraud department would do so following their investigation, and would be better equipped to find the fraudster since they had more j formation than I did. 


In the afternoon of XXXX I received my replacement debit card. I activated it using my original pin, rather than the new pin I had thought Id been given. This is when I figured out I had been a victim of a scam. I had previously been unsure as to how the fraudsters had obtain my PIN number. 


The theft was conducted three hours north of my home at XXXX XXXX. I was at my place of employment in XXXX Il until XXXX that afternoon. 


Had the investigators for chase contacted me or attempted to obtain more information I believe their analysis would have resulted in a different decision. Im sure there are cameras at the bank where the theft was conducted which would show that I wasnt the person making the withdrawal. Just as Im sure that a reasonable investigator with reasonable effort would have determined that I couldnt have possibly had been the person involved. Had chase listened to my complaint on XX/XX/XXXX, they could have canceled the money transfer while it was pending and protected my savings account. 


Additionally, I am unsure as to what what verification was required at the XXXX XXXX chase bank, but I am disturbed that someone was able to imitate me and withdraw so much money with, apparently, so little scrutiny. My card had been canceled and reported as having been involved with fraudulent transactions just days prior, it seems as if more should have been required of my imposter than my PIN number.