Consumer complaint received 2021-06-19
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: Chime Financial Inc (CA)

CHIME, a payment processor/ '' XXXX '' that is legally no longer permitted to refer to itself as a " bank '' in the State of California effective XXXX, XXXX, opened a bank account in my name without my authorization. I only recently found this out when I was trying to close a fraudulent account at XXXX XXXX XXXX. I complained about XXXX 's negligence on the CFPB website and XXXX responded that it was CHIME that opened the account. This CHIME account linked two banks : XXXX and XXXX XXXX. Since XXXX is headquartered in XXXX, to my horror it appeared that the two accounts were an attempt to have funds diverted into a XXXX XXXX  and sent out of the country, as in money laundeirng. {$5000.00} was deposited and withdrawn from the fraudulent XXXX account. Later I found out it was CHIME who opened the account. This account was opened using an address I have not lived at for 10-12 years, and an e-mail address that is also very old, and is a " throwaway '' email that I use for junk mail, and I no longer have the pass word to that account. I know for certain it is absolutely impossible that this account was open with authentic identity documents. I have had these documents in my possession at all times. The account was opened in XX/XX/XXXX and I have lived at my current address since XXXX of XXXX. Any California State Identification used to open a CHIME account would have been long ago expired. I am in the process of trying to close the account, but this is not sufficient in itself. I am on Social Security and Social Security considers the {$5000.00} deposited into the XXXX account to be assets that put me over the limit to receive benefits. Social Security began deducting {$95.00} per month until I pay back the {$5000.00}! I requested a hearing with Social Security that should have postponed the deduction until the hearing, but since I did not provide supporting documents at the time I requested the hearing, Social Security is going ahead with deducting benefits. The amount of documentation I am required to produce is on the level of a law suit and I am livid. Apparently CHIME required little or no documentation to open the account, only to close it, and the burden has fallen on me to provide a cohesive narrative and provide supporting documents. The only " documentation '' Social Security has provided to me is the last four digits of the account number at XXXX, and an apparent computer automated search for assets that linked my Social Security number with the XXXX account. This in itself is not sufficient evidence that I authorized the account, but I am paying for it anyway. I am livid. CHIME bank should be sued, and I will be in contact with a lawyer. I have now provided CHIME with all my authentic documents and I am waiting for hard evidence that the account is closed. By hard evidence, I mean a letter to my P.O. Box, and not email ( the Post Office does not deliver mail to my residence ). Chime needs to be investigated for the policies they use to open accounts. Obviously they do not meed Anti-Money Laundering criteria. I suspect that CHIME sent a pre-authorized card to my former address and someone took it out of the mail box and activated it. I also had someone file a false tax return in my name, according to the I.R.S., and the first Economic Impact Payment of {$1200.00} was not directly deposited into the account I receive benefits as it should have been, but was diverted to the same address that is used for the CHIME account. CHIME needs to report this account to the proper authorities in the form of a Suspicious Activity Report. This " XXXX '' has terrible reviews all over the internet on the XXXX  web site, the Consumer Affairs website, and other websites. Many other people have complained about receiving pre-authorized cards for bank accounts they did not request. CHIME needs to send me their mailing address so I can send them a certified letter and a Request for Fraudulent Activity Report. It is not sufficient to send me a cheap letter saying the account is closed. I have to prove to Social Security that the account was opened by FRAUD, and it is CHIME who is responsible for this fraud and who should be penalized for their negligence, not me.