Consumer complaint received 2024-09-16 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
When I received unemployment during COVID I had to appeal my claim. I won that appeal but I had to wait nearly a year to receive unemployment. I didn't get the Bank of America debit card right away so I had to go through XXXX XXXX to get my first two payments. And had to pay fees to receive them that way. Then three days after finally receiving my Bank of America debit card I discovered the charges to XXXX totaling around {$1200.00}. I called Bank of America and told them I didn't make those purchases, they told me they would investigate and send me a new card. It took another one of my unemployment checks to have to go through XXXX XXXX again. Where I had to pay more fees. I had also called XXXX to find any information I could get about the charges. They informed me of a person 's name asked if I knew the person, I said no. After taking to XXXX I called Bank of America once again and told them the information I received from XXXX. And that the lady at XXXX had typed up a letter outlining the fraud for BofA. The Rep at BofA told me they would investigate. I also asked if I should make a police report since I had a name of the person that made the purchases that XXXX XXXX had given me. Again I was told to just wait and that they ( BofA ) would be investigating and I just had to wait. After receiving XXXX more payments from XXXX on my new debit card from BofA and just as I was expecting all the back pay from having to wait nearly a year for my appeal I discovered my new debit card didn't work anymore. I call to find out why and the gentleman told me there was fraud on my account. I said I knew this and that I was the one who reported it. He told me my account was Closed. I didn't understand what was going on so I asked to talk to the fraud department about my claim. He told me NO. I asked to talk to a supervisor, he again told me NO and said there was No one in all of Bank of America I would be allowed to speak with. And hung up on me. The next day XXXX informed my account was frozen and not closed and my back pay would come in the mail in the form of checks. I ended up not getting all my payments because XXXX were stolen and I had to pay over {$1200.00} to cash the rest of them since I didn't have another bank to cash them at. BofA ultimately denied my claim repeatedly for nearly a year. In that time I was evicted from my home and ended up living in a tent by the river. I lost my truck I had gotten with my payments I did receive. But it still was reposes. I was attacked and assaulted while living like that. It was the most frightening thing I had ever experienced. And yes I believe had BofA not took it upon themselves to think my claim was false without ever doing that Investigation they repeatedly told me they would do. Non of those things would have happened to me. Now I find out a small check I received about a year ago that I thought it was for the XXXX XXXX fees I had to pay was actually a payoff of some kind for BofA just deciding I must have lied on my claim. And them coming to that opinion completely without ever doing any investigation or even reading the letter I received from the lady at XXXX explaining the fraud. I am outraged. Something needs to be done.

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 monetary relief