Consumer complaint received 2022-08-12
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (AL)

The case is about Bank of America 1 ) internationally neglecting reports about checking frauds and enabling illegal activities to continue, 2 ) failing to protect customers interest by lying and delaying response to financial frauds, 3 ) push customers to open new account by lying, 4 ) failed to inform law enforcement about illegal activities and refuse provide information to assist on-going investigation, 5 ) intentionally set up obstacles to prevent customers to close their bank account, and 6 ) lying about its customers services. 

I had been reporting multiple times to the bank since XX/XX/XXXX that my checkbook was stolen and was used without my authorization, but until now, financial frauds on my account continued. I reported my case to the XXXX Police Department on XX/XX/XXXX. However, in order to maintain my account and push me to open new ones, the bank lied and intentionally prevented me to stop the malpractices by closing my account. As a result of the banks tactics, I can not use my account, multiple frauds happened, and merchants continued to be victimized. Below is the detail narrative : On XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, Bank of America call me by about a suspicious check of XXXX dollars on my checking account ( ending with XXXX ) trying to be deposited in XXXX XXXXXXXX where I used to live. I told the bank that my checkbook was stolen when I was moving, and this transaction is a financial fraud. I told the bank to take note and not to allow other similar transactions to happen. The bank stopped the payment ( so it did not have a record on my account ) on that check but do nothing to protect my account from further frauds ( which I know that fact later ). 

On XXXX XXXX, my checking account was used illegally again for a XXXX transaction in XXXX. I called the bank while the amount was still processing. After 40 minutes wait on phone and some transferring between different departments, the bank told me that there was nothing they could do about it, because the transaction is still processing ; I must wait for it to go through and then filed a claim. The bank said that I could file the claim without calling again ( online ) and they already took notes on the account. But they did not suggest any methods to prevent further faults. When I requested information on the XXXX transactions for police investigation, they refused to provide. When I mentioned about moving my money to other banks and then close the account, they lied to me that I could not do that. They suggested me to freeze the account and open a new account with them where all my money will be safely transferred to. The bank threatened me that if I freeze the account, all the money could not be used until the claim was resolved, which it said would take around 30 days. I was then pushed to a sales representative and opened a new checking account ( ending with XXXX ). The bank lied to me that the process will be short, and the sales can take care all the issues. With a new account, the issue did not solve, and I was transferred back to the fraud department where the staff told me that the XXXX dollars in my old account that was still processing ( including the XXXX dollars in fraud payment ) and can not be transferred. I spent more than 3 hours in call with the bank and when one associate could not solve the issue, I was transferred to another department which means a minimum 30-min wait inline. The bank knows that I live 100 miles from its closest branch and could not go in them in person. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, the fraud XXXX charge went through my account, and I could not file a claim online as promised by the bank, so I called and wait again to speak with associates. And the staff picked up the phone still asked me about whether the XXXX transaction was made by me, and it means the bank did not took note of my reports. I was then transferred to another department ( another XXXX ) to file a fraud claim which also involve multiple unnecessary confirmations and procedures. The airtime in my phone plan is used up and the call ended suddenly, and I failed to complete my claim. But at the end of the day, the XXXX check was rejected together with my legit other transactions. Since the refund was still processing, I can not close me account. 
With my account in freeze, on XX/XX/XXXX, another fraud charge of XXXX XXXX paid to XXXX XXXX appeared on my account and the account went to XXXX dollars ( XXXX minus my remaining XXXX dollars ). I called the bank and wait again to speak to an associate from check fraud department where the staff told me that she could do nothing and transferred me to AHC department. The staff in AHC department told me that the check fraud department should take care of my problem. I requested to close my account and was told that I can not, because the ongoing transactions. I said that I already freeze the account two days before, and they did not answer. I was then transferred back to the check fraud department which also could not solve the problem. On XXXX XXXX the same date, the bank informed me that there was another unusual check paid to merchants ( I did not know ) appeared and ask my authorization. I reject to authorize the check. 

In the past three days, I have spent more than 5 hours speaking to may associates in the bank across the country. The bank promised to send me survey about my experience in each call, but I never receive one, and I have nowhere to go and communications with the bank always reach a dead end. The financial fraud continued while I and merchants continued to suffer, so I decided to file the report with CFPB.