Consumer complaint received 2021-04-26
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Cashing a check
Company: KEYCORP (OH)

I went into a Key bank branch on XX/XX/2021 to dispute 2 check frauds on my account. I was starting a new business and received two letters that appeared to come from the Ohio Department XXXX XXXX that threatened significant financial repercussions of $ 7,000+ to myself if i did not take immediate action to send the funds for the required documents for my business. After sending the funds and never receiving anything back from the Ohio Department XXXX XXXX, I called the department on XX/XX/2021 to determine what was happening. Their representative informed me that the letter I received was fraud and that I should take immediate action to protect my accounts, which prompted me to go in branch on XX/XX/2021. The representative at the branch told me to open a new account and transfer the funds I remaining into the new account, and they would open disputes on the XXXXwo check amounts. After waiting as the branch representative said it can take up to 30-days I called on XX/XX/2021 into the customer service line to figure out what is happening with the disputes as the Key Bank app shows me that they were cancelled. Speaking with the first representative, they informed me that the case was closed by me on XXXX that information was incorrect as I never authorized the case to be closed. After informing the representative that I did not approve the case to be closed I was transferred to the dispute department for additional research. The disputes representative then confirmed that I had not closed the case but it was Key banks dispute team that closed the case as apparently their fraud department handles check fraud and not them. At that point I had asked what could be done, and was instructed to go into a branch to see if they can open another case. After expressing to the representative that I did not feel comfortable going back into branch as i had already been sick, they informed me they would transfer me to the fraud department and they can assist in opening and processing my case over the phone. That turned out to be a lie, as after almost 10-minutes of waiting the ringing is then followed by a dial-tone and the call is disconnected. Calling back into Key banks customer service, I requested to be transferred back to the fraud department as the previous dispute representative told me I could file through them and did not have to go into branch. After continuously expressing I do not feel comfortable going into branch, as they do not know what they are doing, the representative then informs me of some policy that only fraud can be done at the branch and they will not file a check fraud claim over the phone. No other representative mentioned such policy of check fraud only being able to be processed at the branch. Looking through my disclosures and on Key Banks website the document informs customers to call customer service to dispute check fraud. If check fraud can only be handled at the branch this should be clearly spelled out. This is all very misleading and the customer service has been terrible in trying to get my funds back and the check fraud corrected.