Consumer complaint received 2019-09-13
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Funds not received from closed account
Company: BBVA FINANCIAL CORPORATION (CA)

Someone called my bank ( Simpleit is an online only bank ) and gave them all of my personal info and pretended to be me on XX/XX/19. Earlier that day I had received a support message about ATM Limits -- I thought it was just a general message sent to all Simple customers but it turns out that this person had called and asked about it, intending to drain my account. Soon after I got a few notifications letting me know that my email and phone number on file had been changed. I received two different messages from support from two different people which probably means they called 3 separate times pretending to be me in order to gain access to my account. In order to do this they had to have known my birthday, the last four of my social security number, my last few transactions, what my paychecks name is, and the bank accounts Ive had connected to my account before. They knew all of this and changed the email and phone number associated with my account over the customer service hotline. Thankfully I got notifications from my app once those changes went through so I was able to catch it before they took any money. I have their phone number and email that they used when trying to gain access to my bank account XXXX XXXX and XXXX ). Since this has happened I have had a lot of trouble with my bank. Simple told me they could no longer support me through phone support and that they were going to close my account since they could no longer keep my account safe. During this they also sent me a message saying they were having trouble verifying me and asked me to send pictures of my drivers license and social security card etc, which seemed pretty sketchy so I called them to make sure they sent that email. 

Basically when it all boiled down they told me they were closing my account and were going to send my balance to me via check. In the meantime my entire life 's savings in this account are currently being locked so no one can put anything in or take anything out. The problem is that I currently live in XXXX but I am moving to XXXX on the 15th. So I keep messaging them asking them when they will be sending my check ( it is literally all of the money I have to my name right now. And it is all meant to be used for my move across the country in a few days ) and they have not been communicative at ALL. I have messaged them every day since and no one can tell me when they are sending my check or when it will get to me. I literally just need them to tell me if they're sending it, what address they're sending it to, and how long it will take to get to me. It all seems very fishy that no one is willing to communicate with me via phone support or chat, and it makes me feel like they're treating me like a criminal. It's absolutely insane. On XX/XX/19, I got a notification saying that a check had been cashed for the entirety of my account 's balance. I am wondering if this means that they have finally sent my check, or that they sent it a while ago and someone else attempted to cash it. It's all very confusing and I am extremely concerned. 

I am getting nowhere with them. I am concerned that it could have possibly been someone in the company who gained access to my bank account because I have no clue why they wont tell me when they are going to send my check. It makes me extremely anxious and uncomfortable knowing that I have verified my identity to them multiple times and they absolutely refuse to cooperate with me. They are withholding my funds from me with no reason why or estimate on when they will be sent. I am reporting this because I want whoever stole my identity to be stopped, because if they are doing this to me Im sure theyve done it before and will continue to do it to others. I also am reporting this because I feel that it is unlawful for a bank to withhold a customers funds from them with absolutely no reason why and no communication. Literally all of my life 's savings are just hanging in limbo with no communication from my bank. Please help.