Consumer complaint received 2024-06-24 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Cashing a check
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
I opened new checking and savings accounts because Chase sent me an email about the promotion for bonus. I then deposited 1 check written by my mom. And then they locked my account and held my fund. This is ridiculous because the money would have been perfectly in safe accounts in my other banks if I had not moved them to Chase because of their promotion. And now they refused to release my money which is legally my money! When asking if they think the deposited check was having issue, why didn't they refuse the check? They now took the money from my mom 's account and held it as theirs! This is a scam for such a bank. 

Regarding the {$900.00} check deposit, I followed the instructions from the call center to the Chase branch in XXXX PA. I went to the XXXX branch 3 times, called the centers at least 5 times, and they kept pointing fingers to everywhere and each time they told us a different solution. The first time we went to the Chase branch in XXXX. Together with my mom in person, we brought the original check ( that they said they need to investigate ), her ID, her SSN, and the clerk at the branch verified everything matched my mom 's identity and the check. Then, the clerk called the executive office explaining everything, and the person on the call center told us to call XXXXXXXX XXXX to place a stop payment and Chase would return the money to the issuer. We then called XXXX and XXXX said Chase already cashed the check and they could not do anything on their side. Next, we called Chase again and explained everything again. This time they said they could not verify the phone number of the maker who is my mother. It turned out that the phone number they have on their system is the one that she no longer used for many years. They asked me to give them her current phone number. I gave them her current phone number and they said the phone number is under my name. I explained that because we are using XXXX and we have 5 lines under the same account, same name. It is not our fault that whatever system they are using that could not verify the person name. I asked them to call that number and they will reach my mom or we can go to a Chase branch again in person with all paperwork to show that we are real persons. They said that even we go to a branch in person they could not do anything. Even we are real persons with real IDs. Then, I tried calling the center again. This time, I spoke with a guy and he gave me another solution. He said he put in all explanation about the phone numbers and it is okay. The last thing I need to do is to go to a Chase branch, asking them to upload my ID into Chase system to match exactly with the name on the check, and then they can release the fund. Please go ahead and check your recordings record. Then I went to the Chase branch to correct my name ( with the space in between first name and middle name ). The banker then called the executive office again to explain everything again and they said the person in charge of my case was out of office and that we needed to call back on Monday. Then, on Monday, XX/XX/year> I called the executive office and I had to repeat everything all over again. And now they are back to the original issue that they could not find my mom 's phone number. Then why in the first time you told me to do all the other things? Why do you keep communicating the wrong resolutions and make customers running back and forth so many times?

Please kindly check your recordings to know that your employees on the call centers gave the wrong instruction to customers without a right solution! 
And lastly, if Chase believed the check was fraudulent, then why did you accept and cash the check? Why don't you refuse and return the money to the maker? This is totally a scam.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation