Consumer complaint received 2024-01-05
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (AZ)

On XX/XX/2023, at approximately XXXX to XXXX, I logged onto Chase to view my account balances and to my horror I saw the 4 XXXX payments listed on the accompanying webpage. The status was Pending. I immediately printed out the page on my screen and took it to my Bank branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, AZ to have these payments stopped! Since the status said Pending, I believed that they could do that. 

I spoke to a very nice lady named XXXX XXXX I didnt ask her last name ). She took me to a booth and placed a call to the claims department and reported what had happened. I was eventually put on the line and spoke to someone from the claims department. I dont remember if she shared her name with me, but she asked me if I was familiar with the persons named XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX both of whom had been added to my recipients list on XXXX XXXX one-half hour prior to my discovery of the withdrawals made from my checking account. I replied that I didnt know either person. I was then told that the fraud department would conduct an Investigation which would take from 5 10 days. After this, I thanked a young man named XXXX, for the assistance I received ( XXXX, had to hand it off to XXXX because she had an appointment with another client ). Up to this time, no one disavowed that I would be able to get my money back. Again, I thanked XXXX and went home believing I had done the right thing. I had no idea what was going to happen next. 

I went home and did two virus scans on my computer, as I had been instructed to do by the bank. This, with the help of my adult son who is very computer savvy. Im not. I also called the number I was given to change my username and password with the bank. I had also changed my email password. I was instructed by the people I spoke to at the claims department to do both things. I even acquired a new computer for extra security. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received the attached notification that my claim was denied. I called the number listed on the letter to ask my questions. I spoke to a man with a heavy accent named XXXX. He said the reason is that I had authorized the payments. I protested that I did not and asked why he thought I went to my bank branch to report this. Our discussion became somewhat heated, but XXXX seemed very obtuse and kept insisting that the transactions had been authorized coming from my device and there was no question about it. I protested that they were not authorized by me, and it should be obvious that someone had hacked into my computer. He said I would have to provide documented proof that it wasnt me. When I asked what kind of documentation he was talking about, he replied he couldnt/wasnt allowed to tell me that. Indeed, what kind of documentation could there possibly be? He said there are things, but he couldnt tell me what they were. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I wrote a letter to the claims department touching the same points listed above. I again went to the branch to fax the letter directly that same day. I have not received a response. 

I find Chase Banks unwillingness to stop the transactions and subsequent refusal to refund my money unacceptable. That they didnt tell me up front that it possibly wouldnt be, is intolerable. It seems that their telling me they were going to investigate gave me false hope. 

I recently learned Chase Bank is one of the seven banks that owns the company that manages XXXX. The fact that these banks made it so that payments made through XXXX would be virtually immediate, with no real chance of stopping these payments, is dangerous and irresponsible and in no ones best interest because it opens the door to this type of scam!