Consumer complaint received 2021-12-11
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION (FL)

An XXXX  widow, age XXXX, has lost her life savings of {$46000.00} due to bank negligence but they claim is her mistake. 
On XXXX a check was written for discounted ac unit XXXX My mom wrote {$4600.00} in numeric part of check, but ac guy got her confused and distracted her when he tried changing price at last minute and she hurriedly wrote out this check in the driveway. She accidentally wrote out XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in alphabetized section. Despite a {$42000.00} disparity in numeric and alphabetized section, Fifth Third Bank pushed this through to XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX XXXX The bank manager at XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX caught this huge disparity and put a 7 Day hold on the check to give Fifth Third time to pull back or refuse payment on the check. The funds were pushed through to XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX but not in their client 's account when we discovered that {$46000.00} and not the intended {$4600.00} were taken from our account. We discovered this when we got our statement in early XXXX and immediately called Fifth Third to address. They did help us go back to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to get this corrected and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX sent us back the money on XXXX. We were thrilled and thought the nightmare was over. Then on XXXX we get a letter from Fifth Third and see they debited the {$46000.00} from our account a month later. No one knew what had happened or could tell us where funds went. Fifth Third said XXXX XXXX XXXX retrieved the money. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX repeated told us Fifth Third had the money. After weeks of follow up each bank still tells us the other has it. Fifth Third tells us XXXX XXXX XXXX retrieved the money now because their client got the money and it is in the fraud department. 2 Days ago the fraud investigator foXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and the bank manager at XXXX XXXX XXXX say they never pulled back the money and as a result they have lost XXXX. The latest update I have from XXXX & XXXX is they didn't pull back the money- That the former client started pulling money out as fast as he could when the hold came off the check and before XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX sent us back the {$46000.00} on XXXX. They said he was able to pull out XXXX and therefore they are at a XXXX loss. The banks have tried to find the answers but we have lost {$46000.00} because of a huge disparity with 2 separate amounts that anyone with any common sense should be able to spot much less a bank that has a fiduciary responsibility to protect the money in our account. We are heartsick over this and Fifth Third says that it was our mistake. But the money was rightfully returned on XXXX. All parties knew it was supposed to be {$4600.00} and not {$46000.00} Fifth Third claims a technical late return charge took the money out of our account and sent it back to XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX 30 days after we rightfully got it back. We don't know what to believe. We really don't know who has the money or what the bank responsibility is in this matter. I believe this was bank negligence to not notice and stop a check with a {$42000.00} disparity. I know that any bank I go into and present a check with 2 different amounts with a {$42000.00} disparity would not be accepted. When we got the {$46000.00} back we actually went back to Fifth Third and got a cashier 's check made for {$4600.00} to give to AC man for the air conditioning unit. We presented to him on XX/XX/XXXX and he accepted and gave us a receipt. We really don't know why Fifth Third debited our account on XXXX and if they still have it or if it was returned to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  We don't know why they would release our money a 2nd time nearly 30 days after we got it back. Banks are insured for their mistake resulting in losses. We are not. We are out a life-changing amount of money and we still don't have answers.