Consumer complaint received 2024-10-03
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS)

On XX/XX/year>, at XXXX I was at home when I first received a message warning me about my credit card being declined for a XXXX XXXX for {$450.00}. I proceed to look at my email for any alerts, but there was none, so I thought it was nothing. 
However, a few minutes later I received a call from the number XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  claiming to be an associate called XXXX from Bank of America. She proceeds to warned me about my accounts being compromised by a person from XXXX, Georgia from a XXXX device trying to make a purchase from my Credit Card for a XXXX ticket, as I mentioned before. I told her that was not me. She then said this same person was trying to charge me for {$2000.00}. I said again that it was not me, that I didnt have that amount of money. She asked me Do you turn off your alerts? I said no, she said, It looks like this person turned off your alerts so you wouldnt know, I will proceed to turn them on for you. Dont worry, we caught him right in the middle of the transaction. You have nothing to worry about.. In that moment I received and email from BOA notifying me that my alerts are back on. 
She asked if I knew someone from XXXX, Georgia ; I said no. She asked if I knew someone name XXXX because he was the one trying to access my account from a XXXX XXXX. I said I dont know anyone with that name. She asked if I ever been to that state, I said no. 
I seriously thought it was BOA since in their website for Fraud Prevention they claim to be proactive in detecting fraud and that if they detect it, they will call their clients. She then proceeds to tell me my personal information, such as home address, email address, and phone number. I said everything was correct. 
She then recommended me to change my credentials for future protection. I said I will. She then asked me for a security code and I gave it to her, since it was not the first time a BOA associate asked me for the security code they sent in order to, sometimes, access my account, even though it supposed to be something we shouldnt share. 
She then said to me to log into my online banking, she said you see this person took away your checking? ( I used to have {$400.00} and suddenly I had {$4.00} ), I said yes, where did my money go? she said, hes trying to take them away, but dont worry we caught it right on time. Then she asked me to log out of my online banking account and log in again. She asked again for another code, I gave it to her. It happens three times in total. She then said that they assigned the case to a private investigator named XXXX XXXX. She said that I will have to wire {$8300.00} ( which was the total amount I had in my savings account ) because it was the amount they were trying to take, and she was in charge to prevent this to happen, investigate and give the money back to me. She then walked me in how to do a wire to XXXX XXXX. She already added XXXX XXXX information under wire. I did the wire while we were still on the phone. She said, thank you so much, well be working with you. If you have any questions, you can always call back to this number. On Friday you will receive a new debit and credit card, your account is now locked, youll received an email notifying you about it. It will take up to two days. My name is XXXX, it was my pleasure to assist you. 
I innocently called the bank on Friday XXXX, in the morning asking about my new cards. I explained to them the situation, and thats when the associate told me that theyve never called me. That there was no record of a fraudulent transaction. He transferred my call to the Fraud Department ; I explain to them the whole situation, and they started the investigation. They told me it would take up to 60-90 days, but they dont guarantee to give me my money back. On Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX I received an email from the bank notifying me that they had some success in recovering partial amount of my funds, accrediting to my account {$4.00}. They considered my case closed, and if the party that originally received the funds disagrees with them being returned to me, as described in the Indemnity Agreement ( that I was required to sign in order for them to help me ), Ill be responsible for any action taken. I also file a police report. 
I called them on Friday morning, XX/XX/XXXX, asking why they closed my case and why I only got back {$4.00}. They said it was because that was the only amount left on XXXX account and that theres nothing else they can do. I asked to appeal that decision, and the associate told me that she re-opened the case, and that it will take from 10-45 days to receive an answer. 
Nonetheless, I called today XX/XX/XXXX and when I asked the Wire Department the status of my case, they told me it was closed. And I explained to them that I asked to re-open the case to further investigation, and they said my case its not eligible to be re-open because it was a Scam.