Consumer complaint received 2019-06-28
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Bounced checks or returned payments
Company: U.S. BANCORP (IL)

ON SATURDAY XXXX XXXX, 2019 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX   ) SAYING THAT THERE WAS A CHECK SENT TO ME AT THE XXXX XXXX BRANCH. RECEIVING A CHECK ADDRESSED TO ME AT A BRANCH OF XXXX IS NOT CUSTOMARY. I DROVE TO THE XXXX BRANCH AT XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, IL XXXX AND PICKED UP THE CHECK. I WAS EXPECTING A CHECK FROM XXXX AROUND THAT DATE. I HAD CLOSED A CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNT AT XXXX  ON OR AROUND XXXX XXXX, 2019. I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT I WAS RECEIVING FROM XXXX. I ASKED FOR THE MONEY IN MY ACCOUNTS AT XXXX. I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR AT LEAST A WEEK FOR ANY DEBIT CARD OR CHECKS OUT STANDING TO CLEAR. SO WHEN THE XXXX  BRANCH ON XXXX XXXX CONTACTED ME I ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS THE CHECK THAT I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR. 
I PICKED UP THE CHECK AT THE XXXX XXXX XXXX BRANCH  AND NOTED THAT THE CHECK WAS MADE OUT TO ME, WITH THE XXXX  BRANCH ADDRESS. THE CHECK LOOKED ODD. THE XXXX  BANKER AT THE XXXX XXXX BRANCH COMMENTED THAT THE CHECK LOOKED LIKE A XXXX XXXX CHECK. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF XXXX XXXX. HE TOLD ME THAT XXXX XXXX   OFTEN HANDLES FINAL SETTLEMENT CHECKS WITH FORMER XXXX   CUSTOMERS THAT QUIT THE BANK. THIS PERSON 'S NAME IS XXXX XXXX. HE IS A BANKER AT THE XXXX XXXX XXXX BRANCH BANK. THE CHECK WAS MADE OUT TO ME FOR {$2300.00} I THEN DROVE TO THE US BANK BRANCH AT XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, IL XXXX WHERE I HAD PREVIOUSLY OPENED A CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNT. I WORKED WITH XXXX XXXX, ASSISTANT BRANCH MANAGER TO OPEN THE TWO ACCOUNTS AND SHE WAS THERE THE DAY THAT I CAME IN TO THE BRANCH TO DEPOSIT THE CHECK REFERENCED HEREIN THAT I HAD PICKED UP FROM XXXX  ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FUNDS FROM THIS CHECK WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE CHECK HAD CLEARED WHICH WOULD REQUIRE 1-2 DAYS OF RESEARCH. I TOUCHED BASE WITH US BANK ON DAY 1, WHICH WAS MONDAY XX/XX/XXXX AND AGAIN ON DAY 2 WHICH WAS TUESDAY  XX/XX/XXXX. I WAS TOLD ON TUESDAY XX/XX/XXXX THAT THE RESEARCH HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND THE CHECK HAD CLEARED. I THEN COMMENCED TO USE MY US BANK DEBIT CARD AND WRITE CHECKS ON MY US BANK CHECKING ACCOUNT TO PAY MY RENT, UTILITIES, ETC. ON WEDNESDAY XX/XX/XXXX, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CHECK HAD BOUNCED. THAT MEANT THAT ALL OF THE DEBIT CHARGES AND CHECKS THAT I HAD WRITTEN WOULD BOUNCE ALSO. 
I WENT INTO THE BANK TO TALK TO XXXX XXXX THE ASSISTANT BRANCH BANK MANAGER. SHE WAS NOT IN THAT DAY. I SPOKE WITH XXXX XXXX, PERSONAL BANKER, AT THE US BANK BRANCH ON XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. HE TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO COME BACK TO THE BANK WHEN MS XXXX WAS THERE AND THAT SHE WOULD WORK WITH ME TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. 
I RETURNED THE FOLLOWING DAY TO SEE MS XXXX. SHE INFORMED ME THAT US BANK HAD ELECTED TO CLOSE BOTH MY CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND THAT I OWED US BANK {$2300.00}. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE XXXX XXXX POLICE DEPARTMENT ON XX/XX/, 2019.  OFFICER XXXX. XXXX TOOK MY INFORMATION AND ASSIGNED A POLICE REPORT NUMBER XXXX TO THIS CASE. 
OFFICER XXXX ADVISED ME TO CALL US BANK 'S FRAUD DEPARTMENT AND THE CFPB IMMEDIATELY, WHICH I HAVE DONE. 
US BANK PROVIDED A COPY OF THE CHECK IN QUESTION TO ME. HOPEFULLY IT IS ATTACHED TO THIS DOCUMENT. THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS RELATE TO THIS CHECK : 1.PLEASE NOTE THAT IN THE CENTER ABOVE THE PAYTO LINE ARE THE WORDS " US BANK NA ''. FROM MY OWN INVESTIGATION IT APPEARS THAT THE XXXX XXXX  IS AN AFFILIATE OF US BANK. THE CHECK ORIGINATED IN US BANK AND BOUNCED WITHIN US BANK. 
2. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CHECK IS MADE OUT TO ME. IT WAS MAILED TO OR DELIVERED TO XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, IL XXXX WHICH IS THE ADDRESS OF THE XXXX  BRANCH BANK ON XXXX XXXX THAT I FREQUENTLY USED. SO XXXX XXXX/US BANK SENT A CHECK TO ME AT THE XXXX XXXX XXXX BRANCH BANK FOR {$2300.00} 3. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE STATEMENTS PRINTED ON THE CHECK THAT POINT TO A CHUMMY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN XXXX AND US BANK. THE FIRST IS AT THE TOP OF THE CHECK : " PLEASE POST THIS PAYMENT FOR OUR MUTUAL CUSTOMER ''. WHO DOES THAT STATEMENT REFER TO? I AM CERTAINLY NOT THEIR MUTUAL CUSTOMER. PERHAPS MS XXXX XXXX, THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT AT XXXX XXXX XXXX, IS THE MUTUAL CUSTOMER? I DONT KNOW MS XXXX. 
THE LOWER RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE CHECK CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE : " THIS CHECK HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED BY YOUR DEPOSITOR ''. WHO DOES THIS COMMENT REFER TO? WHO IS " YOUR DEPOSITOR? '' I WAS TOLD BY US BANK 'S FRAUD DEPARTMENT THAT MS XXXX PLACED A STOP PAYMENT ON THE CHECK WHEN SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THIS CHECK HAD BEEN CASHED BY ME. THIS STATEMENT RAISES A WHOLE SLEW OF QUESTIONS. WHO WROTE THE CHECK IN THE FIRST PLACE? DID MS XXXX WRITE IT? DID SOMEONE ELSE WRITE THE CHECK WITH OUT MS XXXX 'S APPROVAL? I DONT KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS. 
FINALLY, MY LAST EXHIBIT IS AN EMAIL FROM US BANK TO ME INFORMING ME THAT I HAD REQUESTED THE ADDITION OF A PAYTO ACCOUNT TO MY US BANK ACCOUNT. THE PAYTO ACCOUNT WAS FOR A XXXX XXXX, BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNT. I MADE NO SUCH REQUEST. THIS REQUEST WAS MADE BY SOME OTHER PARTY IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRAIN MY CHECKING ACCOUNT AND MAKE OFF WITH MY ENTIRE ACCOUNT. 
MY COMPLAINT IS THAT US BANK OWES ME {$2300.00} THE FAKE CHECK CAME FROM WITHIN US BANK AND WAS SENT TO ME. US BANK SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS A FAKE CHECK DURING THE 1-2 DAY  RESEARCH PERIOD, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE FAKE CHECK ORIGINATED WITHIN US BANK. US BANK HAD TOTAL CONTROL OVER THIS WHOLE MATTER AND QUITE FRANKLY BLEW IT. BLAMING ME FOR THE LOSS IS IMMORAL AND REPUGNANT. I HAVE SINCE BEEN INFORMED THAT US BANK HAS TURNED THE MATTER OVER TO A COLLECTION AGENCY. SO NOW US BANK IS TRYING TO HARM MY CREDIT SCORE BY FILING FALSE INFORMATION TO THE CREDIT AGENCIES.