Consumer complaint received 2021-09-24
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CA)

Complaint:
Merrill Lynch accepted two ( 2 ) forged/fraudulently completed and signed XXXX XXXX Investing Plan Withdrawl Request Forms at face value from my soon to be ex husband without following what SHOULD have been proper banking procedures and protocols. There were no multi layers of security ( such as having a notary requirement to make sure it was actually me signing the requests ), no medallion signature requirement to confirm it was me nor to require management to authorize such transactions to take place. There was not even a requirement to have signed Order from a judge to allow my two daughter 's college funds to be withdrawn and since the collective {$35000.00} was withdrawn when my daughters were still minors, all the more reason why a signed Order from a Judge SHOULD have been a mandatory requirement, otherwise where is the protection for minor 's monies??? The handwriting on the XX/XX/XXXX withdrawl requests is not mine and my signatures that were affixed to each of the forms were a clearly a digital cut and paste job. These monies were originally gifted by my mother to my children back in XXXX and I was the listed custodian on the accounts when the accounts were opened on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Due to Merrill Lynch 's failure of fiduciary duty to protect both my daughters college funds allowed my soon to be ex husband ( who is not even the father of these XXXX ( XXXX ) children ) to steal my identity, provide forged documents in order to liquidate their college fund accounts, have the monies wired into a XXXX XXXX Bank account that had my name on it ( but I had no access to it ) and all financial statements were being re-routed by ex to his personal po box that I had no access to either so I did not discover or have any knowledge of this crime that was committed by my soon to be ex until XX/XX/XXXX when I received a box of documentation from a tax attorney that had some evidence in there which led me on a crusade against Merrill Lynch whom I have been going in rounds with ever since. They want to wash their hands of any responsibility or liability and they have not been willing to provide me with a copy of their policies and procedures as they deem it to be proprietary and will not furnish it. 

They also allowed my ex to liquidate yet anther account that was a savings account for my eldest daughter. They did so without contacting me or once again requiring a notary or Judge 's signed Order to allow such a transaction to take place, so I had no knowledge about that either. Merrill Lynch accepted a fax that was typed, had my soon to be ex husband 's handwriting on it and another clear cut and paste job of my signature so they released those funds on XX/XX/XXXX by way of a check which was then fraudulently endorsed by by ex and deposited into a XXXX XXXX Bank account. That was an additional theft of $ XXXX and Merrill Lynch allowed it to happen. 

I am seeking justice as I seem to be at an impasse trying to deal with Merrill Lynch on my own. There is a pending criminal investigation against my ex but Merrill Lynch bears responsibility here for allowing the crimes to occur and failed to protect the children 's money.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation