Consumer complaint received 2019-02-01
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: BMO Bank, N.A. (IL)

I got paid on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I attempted to order pizza, only to have my card declined. I called the bank to see what was up. Online banking was down that weekend for a scheduled update so I knew I had to call. My account was flagged for fraud. I still had {$53.00} dollars in my account ( I should have had over {$400.00} ), but because they noticed the fraud, they changed my account to credits only. I was not told this, instead I was told I would be able to withdraw funds via ATM with my pin. I wanted to grab that last {$50.00} so I at leas had some cash while I got this sorted. Im a paycheck to paycheck girl while going to school and trying to pay off my car. 

I went to the ATM the next morning with no luck. Call the bank back and this new lady tells me that I cant withdraw the funds and that I need to visit a branch as soon as possible to get the fraud dispute started ( I was also told this on the previous call ). She also informed me that this charge was from XXXX, which I had never heard of and had to have her explain to me over the phone. 

Tuesday morning ( XX/XX/XXXX, bank was closed XX/XX/XXXX for a holiday ) I walked into the branch I have been going to since the day I opened my account. There were no available personal bankers and they asked me to come back at XXXX. When I came back at XXXX, I sat with a personal banker who walked me through what I would have to do, and she told me the fraud occurred through my online banking. A fraud claim needed to be filed and I needed to start the process of getting back into my online banking. I began to backtrack and realized I got an email saying my account was locked on XX/XX/XXXX from failed login attempts. She said thats probably whoever did this. She also informed me that I had to open an entirely new checking account because the old one would never be valid again. And I needed {$25.00} to do so. Also the investigation would be 7-10 business days before I see that money again. 

At this point I have no money. Payments that I set up over the weekend processed but would eventually be returned because I had no funds. That meant the {$50.00} I hoped to take out that weekend were lost to me for now. The banker also had to call online banking to figure out the process I needed to go through. I told her I could get the {$25.00} to open an account, but it wouldnt be until later that day ( borrowed it from my brother ), and she said I should come back later. 

I went in for the third time that day. She told me she had filed the fraud claim and we opened my new checking account. She also told me my credit card payment would process ( that lady {$50.00} ) and it wouldnt be returned, but my cell phone payment would be. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my credit card app only to see that {$50.00} payment had actually been returned. I called the bank since it was Saturday and branches were all closed after noon to verify I had funds in the locked account. I did, but he was unable to transfer them over because it had to be done in person since there had been previous fraudulent activity. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called the banker at the branch to transfer that money into my good account ( she said since she knew me I didnt need to come in ) and check the status of the fraud claim. I was told in order to restore my access to online banking, they required a third party to wipe clean my devices I used for online banking in case any one was hacking them.

Being without any money, my only option was to drive an hour to the XXXX  store who would wipe my phone and computer for free. But before I drove that distance, I decided to swing by the ATM to make sure she had actually transferred the money over. She had not. I went into the branch and made sure she did it, triple checked my account, and drove to the XXXX  store. Also it was snowing and the roads were super dangerous, but because of my work schedule, that was the only day I could go. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I went into the branch with my receipts from the XXXX  store to restore my online banking. The girl I had been previously working with was not available, so I worked with a different personal banker. I sat at his desk for 45 minutes while he was on hold with online banking to restore my account. Eventually that got done and online banking informed him that a male had called on XX/XX/XXXX asking to reset my password. Apparently whoever this was had my SSN. I asked if they had a number of the person that called but never got a response. I asked him if he could check the status of my fraud claim. He said sure, but he didnt want me to have to wait there while he was on hold. He assured me he would call me later that afternoon with an update. I never got a call. 

Yesterday, XX/XX/XXXX ( the 7th business day ), I called the original banker I was working with for an update. When she returned my call, she said there was an issue with the claim and I needed to contact online banking and fraud myself. She gave me the general customer service line. I called and got to a human who told me they would transfer me to online banking and it would be a 45 minute wait. I asked to speak to a manager. His manager told me she would contact one of the managers in online banking and they would call me back before the end of the day. They did not. 

I regularly XXXX  about this whole ordeal, and the verified BMO XXXX   XXXX  me asking what happened and for my phone number so someone could contact me. Several hours later I got a call from a guy ( I believe he was in customer care/social media ) who told me he was going to have an investigation started to figure out why Im getting this run around. 

Around XXXX XXXX  I got fed up that online banking had not called me as promised earlier, I called the bank again. I was on hold for 20 minutes, told that it would be an additional 15 minute hold time for online banking, and I waited. It was an hour before I got someone in online banking. I was upset. I was in tears by the time they answered and my mom was very angry too as she seen what had happened and had to help me throughout by lending money, This lady informed me that there were no fraud claims filed on my account. I would have had to sign something for that to happen and it never did. She didnt understand why the banker I had been working with in person didnt file anything and why Ive had to do all this without a claim. She told me the fraud department was closed now ( it was after XXXX ) but she gave me her first and last name and we picked a time of XXXX today ( XXXX ) that she would call me back and transfer me directly to fraud and I wouldnt have to be on hold anymore. 

That call did come in and I was connected to the dispute department only to immediately have the call ended. I waited for them to call me back, but have heard nothing. I am trying to call again but continue to be put on hold by every single person I talk to and have not received proper answers.