Consumer complaint received 2022-11-22
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem accessing account
Company: VYSTAR CREDIT UNION (WA)

On XX/XX/XXXX ( or earlier ), I tried logging into my Vystar online banking account and found my account had been XXXX. 

On Saturday XX/XX/XXXX, I called the Vystar customer support and was told that it had been XXXX due to fraud detection and the team handling this would not be available until Monday. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called again and was told I needed to provide a phone bill, a picture of an ID, and a selfie with me holding my ID to unlock my account and that it had been flagged for fraud due to removing a phone number ( which I no longer had access to and had to remove due to a separate issue where I was applying for an auto loan and their online system would only allow me to send a XXXX text to this phone number and not my other phone number on file ) and editing my email address ( which, along with the phone change, I had to do by calling support and providing both a pre-registered verbal code word and responding to a text-based XXXX challenge due to their online system no longer allowing phone or email changes -- I was not challenged for fraud at the time of making these changes ). I escalated the issue as my phone service is provided via XXXX XXXX which does not have a " phone bill '' in the traditional sense. I was told by a support XXXX named XXXX that I would only be required to submit the ID and selfie but that a screenshot showing my name and phone number would help. Within XXXX minutes of this call, I submitted the required documents. 

I called again on XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX noted that she had reached out to the fraud department and they were actively working on my case but could not provide an XXXX for resolution. 

It is now XX/XX/XXXX and I still do not have access to my account, XXXX full business days after the previous call. 

As a result, I can not access my online account to move money, pay bills, or pay off my credit cards ( potentially resulting in either missed payments impacting my credit or interest, though I can't check to know ). 

I've also been forced to spend multiple hours, during my working day, on the phone with Vystar due to long hold times. 

Beyond the damages Vystar is causing to me, I believe that : XXXX. The response timeline is outrageous. Verifying a set of pictures should not take multiple business days and consumers being unable to access their account and funds for days is unacceptable, regardless of the reasons. 

XXXX. Their fraud rules are unreasonable in this case. For XXXX, they did not kick in when I was making changes, a reasonable time to require further verification, but rather multiple days later. Second, they kicked in after only XXXX changes to my account, which I was required to make over the phone and authenticate, and only XXXX of which actually changed an existing field ( while the other removed XXXX of XXXX long-term phone numbers ). Third, to " verify '' my phone number, they state they required a bill. However, if they are already verifying my identity, I should be able to self authorize my own use of whatever phone number I please once my identity is authenticated. Not to mention that in all of this ( XXXX ) I have continued to respond to XXXX requests to the phone number, showing I have access to it and ( XXXX ) I have had this phone number of file for over 10 years. These " fraud '' rules do not add security, merely anti-user headaches.