Consumer complaint received 2023-01-13
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION (MD)

During the summer of XXXX I attempted to send money via my M & T bank account and XXXX and could not due to a pop up that stated my account was already used to another account and please contact the online banking department. I made that call and after XXXX hour of them trying to determine what the problem was I was informed a ticket would be submitted to the IT department and I would hear back from them. XXXX months later I attempted to use XXXX again and got the same pop up. I again contacted the online banking department and went through the same process and again was told a ticket would be created with the IT department and I would hear back from them. On Friday XXXX XXXX I again attempted to send money via XXXX and got the same message so I decided I would go to my M & T Bank on XXXX XXXX in XXXX. 
Monday the XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I went to the bank and meet with the branch manager ( XXXX XXXX XXXX and showed her the pop ups I was getting on my account and explained what was happening. She proceeded to contact someone I believe in the IT department and explained what was happening with my account. After over an hour she received a telephone call informing her the problem was with XXXX. XXXX then attempted to contact XXXX and finally got in touch with a person - XXXX. She explained to him what the problem was and gave him my phone number and he returned the call to me. He then had me load the app " XXXX '' so he could view my transactions and proceeded to have me do multiple transactions on my phone with my account all the time XXXX was monitoring my account and no transactions appeared. After over XXXX hrs he informed us he was going finalize the problem and I would be getting a telephone call in the near future from XXXX XXXX authorization department. Having spent over XXXX hrs in XXXX 's office and taking up her time she suggested I go home and wait for the call. I returned home and within XXXX minutes I received a phone call from ( XXXX ) and was told he was XXXX from XXXX 's authorization department. He said seeing how I already had the app XXXX he had me open the app and he started to do transactions. I checked my account and no money had transacted. After a short time he informed me I would need to download the XXXX app which XXXX used to complete the authorization. After it was loaded on my phone he then informed me I had to go to a XXXX  ATM and the nearest XXXX was at XXXX on XXXX XXXX and once their text him to let him know I was there. Once at XXXX I texted him and he had me on speakerphone and instructed me to do multiple transactions of {$990.00} ensuring me would resolve the problem. I again checked my account and no transaction had been processed. Be advised that all this time because I the XXXX app he was able to watch what I was doing. He informed me to ensure the corrections had taken place with my debt card and it was authorized I needed to purchase {$500.00} XXXX gift card which would be refunded to me. I made the purchase which he was able to see on my phone and said he would do a final check and call me to let me know all was working. I returned home and checked my account and still no transactions had been processed. Within XXXX minutes I received a call from XXXX stating he could not complete the authorization as my bank account was linked to my wife 's account and the same procedure had to be completed with her debt card. I informed him my wife was at work and would not be home until after XXXX and he said text him when she was home. When she arrived home we texted him and he had her download the XXXX app on her phone and again started to transactions. He then informed me that the same procedure had to be completed at the XXXX ATM with her debit card. Again I went to XXXX with my wife 's phone and at the XXXX ATM with him on my wife 's speaker phone and he instructed me how to do multiple {$990.00} transactions. Once the transactions had been completed he informed me within an hour the XXXX issue would be resolved and the authorization would be completed. 
I returned home and both my wife and myself checked our bank accounts and found XXXX - {$990.00} transactions had hit her account and XXXX {$990.00} transactions had hit my account. 
On Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I was at the M & T Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX transaction receipts and again sat with XXXX . I explained what had happened and she contacted I believe M & T Fraud department and explained to them what had taken place. After about an hour I was informed that I was at fault as I had used the debts card and did the transactions on XXXX and due to the level of compromise of the accounts the bank could not protect us so rather then closing the XXXX accounts and opening new accounts a business decision was made that we were to close our exising accounts and find another bank. XXXX made copies of the XXXX  receipts for her records and she informed me that due to me using the debt cards it was highly unlikely we would be able to get the money back. She then had our debt cards and accounts put on hold and started the procedure of closing our accounts and had the bank issue us XXXX checks with the remaining money in our accounts. I was told we would receive a letter informing us officially in XXXX days accounts would be closed. We have since have gone to another bank and opened new accounts. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a telephone call from XXXX from XXXX XXXX the banks Fraud Investigation Department asking me to walk him through what had transpired. After explaining the entire procedure what had taken place he informed me informed me that the bank would review what had transpired and we would be notified. 
On XX/XX/XXXX we received letters ( XXXX for each account ) from M & T stating my account was provisionally credited {$4600.00} and my wife 's account was provisionally credited {$4900.00} pending the findings of the investigation. 
On XX/XX/XXXX we again received XXXX letters ( XXXX for each account ) informing us after a review of our accounts and a thorough investigation it was determined the transactions in question were processed correctly and no error had occurred denying our claim and the provisional credits to our accounts were being reversed.