Consumer complaint received 2024-11-08
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC. (IL)

On XX/XX/year>, I called Ally Bank and said : " I am the victim of identity theft and a money laundering scheme and want my accounts frozen ''. Case # XXXX I was told by the representative that I would have to call for each transaction on my accounts- as they would remain frozen. I did this before anything else had transpired. I believed that representative that my accounts would remain frozen - unless I called to request a specific transaction. No one from ALLY Bank will confirm if this message was ever put on my accounts- and, apparently not, because I have lost all of my money and my accounts did not remain frozen. How else would any representative not read the message and allow XXXX fraudulent wires to be sent out- in addition to a transfer from spending account to savings account in the amount of XXXX? I DID NOT AUTHORIZE this transfer. How would no XXXX suspect ANY suspicious and unusual activity that amounted to {$54000.00} wired out in the matter of XXXX days? I have never wired funds ever and don't know how to - and the balances in my account remained consistent for months. I only called to make XXXX transfer of {$9400.00} from savings to spending at the demand of the fraudulent XXXX from Ally in the beginning of this nightmare - with him always reminding me that this was an inside job and that I couldn't discuss anything with anyone. 

Initially, I was called by the fraudulent 'Alex XXXX Ally ' from Ally 's Fraud Department on a spoofed Ally Bank number - telling me that there were transactions going in and out of my accounts in a very sophisticated manner and Ally Bank needed to investigate because this was the XXXX case like this- with the other XXXX being 'inside jobs '. I was told to transfer the {$9400.00} from savings to spending because they were going to try to get the funds back to the defrauded individuals by sending the wires to the XXXX 

Today, I received an email from XXXX for the XXXX Customer Relations which I have attached. In the last paragraph of the email I was told that if I had any questions I just needed to call Ally Bank. XXXX, as with the many other escalation employees at Ally Bank, do not leave their contact information and I was on hold for XXXX hour and XXXX minutes - never able to talk to anyone from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. There are numerous false statements in her email- let alone the fact that the first XXXX paragraphs tell me how to be aware of fraud. I called on XX/XX/year> and TOLD ALLY BANK that I was a victim of identity theft and a money laundering scheme and wanted my accounts frozen. I did what I could but Ally Bank did not protect my accounts or my funds- and their employees are untrained and can't read that I asked for my accounts to be frozen. Apparently, only XXXX employee understands that if an account is to be frozen that it is for XXXX transaction without approval and unfortunately that was the initial employee on XX/XX/year> only- before anything had happened. XXXX only says that I wanted a 'restriction ' - when I had said that I was a victim of identity theft and a money laundering scheme and want my accounts frozen. Big difference. At the fraudster 's request, I was told that I had to transfer {$9400.00} from savings to spending - and my accounts should have remained frozen. 

XXXX states that on XX/XX/year>, Ally Bank received XXXX outgoing wire transfer request via AOS from my savings account. I have stated a XXXX times that the fraudsters were on my computer with the screen locked as I was threatened that if I got on my accounts that I would be considered a XXXX party in their 'inside job ' investigation. I was constantly reminded that I couldn't speak to anyone. If it is an 'inside job ' - what could I say to anyone from Ally Bank XXXX as it is a money laundering scheme. Why wouldn't anyone from Ally Bank read the message on my account and protect my funds? Why couldn't anyone from Ally Bank recognize the unusual and suspicious activity? I have NO IDEA what XXXX is- as I did not request any of the wires, submit any of the wire forms or whatever happens- and I merely 'verified " wire information that was told to me by the fraudster - threatening me to not say anything in order to complete their investigation of the inside job. XXXX states that the {$9400.00} and {$15000.00} wires went to XXXX XXXX. Not true- but when I was asked to verify the wire for {$9400.00} - I was asked for the bank name. I said - I don't have the bank name - only the account information. Why wouldn't anyone in the wire department recognize that if I didn't even know the bank name that should have been a major red flag - especially since I had said I am a victim of identity theft and a money laundering scheme and want my accounts frozen. On XX/XX/year>, I did call Ally Bank because I received an email from the IRS that my estimated tax payment had been returned. I was so angry because that is a requirement to be posted to my account- or I will have a penalty. The same thing happened with my automatic debit to the XXXX Department of Revenue- as both payments were returned for estimated tax payments. I was informed by XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/year> that the accounts were now unfrozen and I said that I wanted those XXXX payments to go- but too late. XXXX states that I confirmed that I said that I had wanted the wires to go- which is what was perhaps said under great duress from the fraudster who had initiated the wires, submitted the wires and I merely confirmed wire information - because of the threatening of the fraudster who was on my computer doing all of this with the screen locked. XXXX leaves out a very important fact - that on XX/XX/year> I called Ally Bank between XXXX am and finally got to the Fraud Department XXXX after I realized that my accounts were missing the approx $ XXXX ( first XXXX wires ). My boss was sitting at my desk and when we finally got 'XXXX XXXX of Ally Bank XXXX XXXX department XXXX the line, XXXX wouldn't talk because I had my boss, XXXX XXXX speaking as well as myself on my cell phone ( on speaker ). I kept saying that I had fraud on my account and was upset - as XXXX said to calm down and we tried to talk to XXXX about the situation. XXXX kept saying that she couldn't talk to me because a XXXX party was on the line and HUNG UP ON ME. TRIED TO REPORT FRAUD. In the closing sentence of the email from XXXX she states that Ally Bank has award-winning customer care. Had XXXX shown ANY award-winning customer care, the remainder of my funds might have stayed 'intact. However, fraudulent XXXX from Ally immediately called and said that there wasn't a problem at all and he transferred me to XXXX XXXX - cohort in crime and the rest is history. I tried to inform Ally Bank of the fraud- under extreme duress and continuing threats- but no one could read a message that should have been on my account- as well as the 'suspicious and unusual activity that has wiped out my funds. Before the XXXX wire in the amount of {$29000.00} was sent I had a call from Ally Bank asking if I had made a transfer of $ XXXX. I said " XXXX, I will have to call you back ''. If Ally Bank is constantly protecting accounts and watching for fraud - what about that phone call? Why are none of the recorded phone calls that I have asked about show no fraud or suspicious transactions. XXXX states that 'Additionally, I requested to have the restriction removed from my spending account in order to make another transfer. '' THAT IS NOT TRUE - as the ONLY call I made to make a transfer was the initial {$9400.00} from savings to spending. When did I call - and what amount did I request? When I don't answer the representative whether I made a transfer of XXXX - with XXXX, I will have to call you back and never did - no fraud? I NEVER authorized that transfer because I didn't even know about it - as they WERE ON MY COMPUTER requesting the wires, submitting the wires, transferring funds- and I merely 'verified " the wire information as told to me by the fraudsters- as the money is going to the BBB under great duress. There was another phone XXXX from Ally Bank ( women ) on the XXXX as well - asking if I have an XXXX and a XXXX Computer - and I answered 'yes ' since that is what I have. Apparently, that VERIFIES something according to ALLY BANK. Did you listen to the phone call? For the XXXX wire, I was told by fraudster that I had to call Ally Bank and find out why the wire hadn't gone out even though the fraudsters has requested the wire in the morning and by the wire cutoff time of XXXX XXXX that wire had not been verified. No suspicious activity with me calling asking why the wire hadn't been sent. Why wouldn't Ally Bank tell me that they suspected fraud - but wait - I HAD CALLED IN AN SAID I WAS THE VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT AND A MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME AND WANTED MY ACCOUNTS FROZEN. What was the wire department looking for - as nothing suspicious with XXXX wires in XXXX  days wiping out all of my funds? XXXX states that I spoke to XXXX XXXX to confirm wires - as I had no idea who called - but why wouldn't a representative from the Wire Department call to verify wire information? I called on XXXX when all funds were gone, and XXXX lectured XXXX on pronouns as I mistakenly called 'him ' in a conversation. I said, Would you please recall the wires as we both know that funds will be gone and was told by XXXX that she would recall the wires. Took forever getting a new account set up- which I couldn't use anyway since I had no funds left. XXXX 's email states that on XX/XX/year> Ally Bank emailed a Hold Harmless Letter of Indemnification - XXXX DAYS LATER? We all know that fraudulent wired funds are gone immediately from the fraudulent accounts. I was led to believe that the wires were recalled on the XXXX - not the XXXX- which shows no protection of my accounts in a timely manner under the circumstances. However, Ally Bank says that these wires were not 'unauthorized transactions ' - by cherry picking XXXX phone calls to support their narrative of XXXX fraud liability '. If nothing is fraudulent - then Ally Bank has no liability. Why would I be so upset and have contacted many numerous places for help including the BBB, FBI, CFPB, XXXX State 's Attorney Office amount others - let alone calling Ally Bank about XXXX XXXX. Who authorized the phone call from XXXX in XXXX on XX/XX/year> where she stated : 'I finally have some good news that your funds were be returned with interest '? XXXX also said that Ally Bank has XXXX fraud liability along with another person - but those recorded phone calls mean nothing- just to cherry pick and twist what I said for 'authorized wire transactions '. I only verified wire information under great duress and threats. 
XXXX empathizes with any 'inconvenience ' this MAY have caused and appreciates the opportunity to respond to my concern. I have probably made XXXX phone calls to ALLY Bank since XX/XX/year> - and have been violated, humiliated, embarrassed and now just angry. Ally Bank has people who hide behind their untrained and in competent frontline employees - who refuse to return phone calls and gather the truth.