Consumer complaint received 2022-08-23
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (IL)

I have been a Bank of America customer for over 14 years since I opened my checking account with them. On XX/XX/2022, I received a fraud alert text message from Bank of America asking me if I used my debit card at XXXX XXXX store # XXXX to make a {$970.00} purchase. I never went to that store location and no one else has been given authorization by me to use my debit card, which had always been in my possession. I answered NO to the text message. I thought that would be the end of it. However, when I pulled up my checking account I noticed my balance had dropped significantly. I saw multiple charges at that same XXXX XXXX location XXXX ( {$970.00} and {$810.00} ) as well as a XXXX ( {$150.00} and {$14.00} ) that I did not authorize. The {$970.00} charge I saw charged and returned 3 times, so there was definitely some funny business going on. 

I promptly got on the phone with a representative who acknowledged that it was a failure of the Bank of America fraud alert system that I only received an alert text about one charge, had it returned, while the other charges were upheld. I closed my debit card and we put in a claim ( # XXXX ). 

I received a message from Bank of America in my account inbox on XXXX saying the claim was unable to be paid, which shocked me. It claimed The charge was authorized by you or made by someone who has permission to use the card or account. I was the sole owner of my one debit card and had not given permission to anyone to use my card. I can only speculate whether someone had intercepted my chip information electronically somehow at some time, but that is not my fault. Its important to mention that no one from Bank of Americas investigation team reached out to me to get my side of the story, which is difficult to even consider that a thorough investigation. 

I obviously disagreed with the decision, and promptly called the ongoing claims department. The representative I spoke to also acknowledged that it was a failure of Bank of Americas fraud alert system and reopened the claim. He also stated that I would get correspondence from the investigative team. 

So I waited and never received a call from anyone at Bank of America. Im still out {$970.00} from the 3 upheld charges. A couple weeks go by and on XXXX, I get a message from Bank of America stating theyre Unable to Pay the claim again! They claimed that they were unable to determine that an error had occurred. Im sorry but if I receive a fraud alert text message to a specific XXXX store and respond No to that charge, and still get charged for another purchase at that same store location on the same frickin day, thats an error to anyone with 2 firing brain cells. 

I promptly called the ongoing claims department and asked them to reopen the claim. I also asked for a supervisor. I got the run around until I firmly asked again for a supervisor. They said that theyre busy and one would call back that same business day. To this day, I havent received that call. 

This has been a financially devastating and distressing ordeal. The investigative team doesnt want to hear any of my input or see any of my documentation. How can they make determinations without that crucial information. I dont want to have to repeat the cycle of reopening the claim just to have it closed again indefinitely. I just want the three charges ( XXXX XXXX XXXX  # XXXX : {$810.00}, XXXX : {$150.00}, {$14.00} ) that I did not authorize to be returned to me.