Consumer complaint received 2025-06-09 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Non-sufficient funds and associated fees
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
On Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a bank check in the amount of {$38000.00} from a potential employer through its bank, the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. I deposited the check into my TD Bank account on XX/XX/XXXX. The check cleared the bank, and the funds were available to me on XX/XX/XXXX. At that point, as directed by the employer, I wired funds in the amount of {$38000.00} to XXXXXXXX XXXX in Tennessee. 

When I woke up the next morning, XX/XX/XXXX, I had a TD alert in my email saying my account was overdrawn. I called TD Bank to report what had happened, and was told by the TD Bank Business Department that it would immediately look into it. Of course, at this point, I realized there was a scam going on and I was a victim of it. I called the TD Bank Fraud Department every day to ask what was being done, and I was assured TD Bank was doing everything possible, and TD Bank would reach out to XXXX XXXX  to try to recover all of the funds. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, a representative from the TD Bank Fraud Department informed me that they had done all they could and that there was nothing else they could do. 

On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX, I again called TD Bank Fraud, and a representative again told me theres nothing they could do but I should go to my branch, let them know what happened, and close my account. I did. XXXX XXXX, the clerk at TD Bank, set up a new account for me, and I spoke with the branch manager ( XXXX XXXX ) and asked her if she could do anything. She said no. She said everything has to run through the Fraud Department. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I called the bank ( XXXX XXXX  ) in Tennessee, and they told me, We have not yet received a claim from your bank regarding this transaction, but we have flagged this account. Please have your bank email the claim to XXXX. 

I followed that with a call to the TD Bank Fraud department, again, and was given the runaround. First, I was transferred back to the Small Business Department, and the representative I spoke with couldnt understand why I was so upset. She assured me there was no issue and that I didnt lose any money. I was flabbergasted. She honestly thought that I didnt lose any money. I demanded to speak to the Fraud Department again, and, this time, a woman in the Fraud Department said they are just opening the case. But, in reality, there was not a lot they could do. 

On Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX, a family member reached out to the TD Bank Fraud Department, explained the situation, and the person she spoke with said there is something seriously wrong. That none of this should have happened. He admitted TD Bank was in the wrong. He told my family member we should call back together. Later that afternoon, we called the Fraud Department and spoke to a woman named XXXX. She also said this should not have happened and told us the Fraud Department couldnt do anything, that any investigation needs to be initiated by the local branch. XXXX was the first person to say this. If you recall from above, I spoke with the branch manager ( XXXX XXXX ) on Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX, and she said I needed to speak with the Fraud Department. She did not understand the protocol for this issue. So, late on Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I drove back to the bank and met with XXXX XXXX. By that time, the Fraud Department had spoken to her, and when I arrived, she said, I guess I have to file some paperwork on your behalf. She wasnt happy about it. But she filed the paperwork. When I asked for copies of the paperwork, she said she couldnt share anything with me because it was internal. 

XXXX also told us the check that I originally deposited in the amount of {$38000.00} was altered. Common sense would suggest that TD Bank should have reached out to me to inform me of what was happening. But they didnt. Had they done so, perhaps they might have been able to recall the wire. Instead, at XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX, an automated email was sent to me notifying me that my account was overdrawn. 

On Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX, I got a call from XXXX XXXX at the TD Bank Fraud Department saying he needed to speak with me. I called XXXX, and he said that TD Bank called XXXX XXXX and that there was {$14000.00} in the bank account at XXXX XXXX  and it would send that money back to me. I asked about the other {$23000.00}, but XXXX said it wasnt in the account. Perhaps, if TD Bank followed through in contacting XXXX XXXX  when I initially contacted TD Bank to alert them of this issue, they might have been able to recover all of the money. Again, well never know because TD Bank did not make that call, as proved by the email I received from XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX. Additionally, when TD Bank was notified by the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ( the bank that issued the original check that I deposited into my account ) that there was an issue, an altered check, and my bank account was charged back the {$38000.00}, doesnt TD Bank have some sort fiduciary responsibility to notify me? Doesnt TD Bank have any responsibility in protecting its clients? So, the {$38000.00} was sent back to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and {$38000.00} was sent to XXXX XXXX. My bank account was cleaned out. 

On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX, when XXXX XXXX told me the money was made available to me, but technically wasnt available because it takes 6-7 business days to actually clear a check, thats the first time I had ever heard this. Shouldnt TD Bank wait until the funds are actually safe and/or officially cleared before making money available to its customers? Thats a pretty big risk. I looked at my account and saw the money was in my account. Why would I think its actually not there? That doesnt make sense to me. Either the money should not have been made available to me, or there should have been some sort of note saying the check had not actually cleared yet. Again, why would I know this? 

TD Bank failed me, did not protect me, and might have been able to prevent all of this, had TD Bank not made funds available to me that actually were not available! 

I am an innocent victim of a scam, and I counted on TD Bank to protect my bank account. TD Bank failed in that matter by telling me money was available to me before actually clearing the check. I had no way of knowing that the money was not available. When I went to the bank on XX/XX/XXXX to make the transaction and the clerk at the bank who proceeded to initiate the transaction did not tell me that the money was not actually available should have notified me of the fact. TD Bank needs to reimburse me the remaining {$23000.00}. The money WAS AVAILABLE ( please see enclosed statement from TD Bank showing the money available ). If the money was not available, I would not have made the transaction, nor do I think TD Bank would have allowed me to make the transaction.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief