Consumer complaint received 2022-02-20
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: Chime Financial Inc (VA)

On XX/XX/22 I received a text from my bank saying my phone number and email were changed and to call customer service if this was in error. So I called customer service and was unable to access my account because my phone number wasnt associated with it. I tried logging into the app and full online website and was unable to access it even using the last XXXX of my social security number. I then received an email saying my Account was on hold and I would need to send a selfie with my name and todays date on a piece of paper, my card front and back and updated email and phone number. This was XX/XX/22 by now! The first text was at XXXX, this was a normal policy for Chime, if your account is on hold they ask for this info to prove its your account so I thought it would fix my account and I sent it. Unfortunately the way this online banking is set up, you can not reach customer service without a phone number associated, so in order to just get through to customer service, I then decided to use the phone number in the text I received to try to get to speak with a customer service representative. And while I was on hold with Chime ( my bank ), somehow every XXXX I had plus {$200.00} overdraft was taken from my account. Within minutes my paycheck, my tax return and anything else I had including {$200.00} in overdraft. Totally over {$5000.00} was taken every minute from XXXX until XXXX That day, XX/XX/22. The only option I was given was to name off every transaction that I saw that was mine, then the ones that weren't my own authorized transactions. But as I stated I was locked out of my account so I was on the phone for over an hour waiting to have access to even see, and when I was finally able to see, all of my money was gone. The only action taken was to put another hold on my account, lock me out again and to wait until these fraudulent transactions were settled meaning cleared, taken from my account and then I was advised to call back when that happened! Except, how was I to do this when I can no longer access my own account, its locked again at this point.?! So I called back at around XXXX on the same day XX/XX/22, and the same thing was said, Id need to wait until these transactions went through to dispute them. There was no stop payment, no protection, they obviously are these charges are suspect and in large i crime nets of $ XXXX {$1000.00} at a time, every minute starting at XXXX. No resolve was offered, they didnt even offer to call me back when this occurred, I was just told Id need to continue to call back and monitor my own account which I cant do again, without sending the ID, card info in a selfie via email to Chime. At this point Im not sending anymore info online, this is obviously how someone was able to hack into it in the first place. I received over XXXX emails within minutes and was being texted by a number claiming to be chime all through this as well. That number along with all emails and texts are recorded in my phone. They were even able to access all of my savings and transfer that to my credit account and drained that as well. So they were in my account moving money around as I said over {$5000.00} within hours was just gone to XXXX company. There has to be information on the payee, where the money was deposited and they changed and created an email using my name! I am a XXXX XXXX, and had just received my tax return, I work very hard and precious to receiving my taxes I only had a few XXXX dollars to my name, now I have nothing. This amount of money is huge, and I can not live without it.