Consumer complaint received 2024-11-20 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I am a XXXX XXXX XXXX  and my husband and I are in the US under XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX  respectively. On XX/XX/year> we opened 3 bank accounts in Chase bank, 2 personal checking accounts and 1 joint savings account. In these we deposited over {$6000.00} total between the 2 checking accounts and {$8000.00} in cash in the savings account. The university doesn't accept payments in cash. That's why we needed to put the funds in the bank.The banker, who has explicitly said he takes full responsibility for his actions, checked the XXXX  box when opening the accounts. This meant that because we were XXXX, the bank started requesting XXXX  forms of identification other than our passports, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX forms, which are the documents we hold since we are not immigrants. Three days after the accounts were opened they were blocked and placed under the control of XXXX, given that again, we are from XXXX. Even though the bank kept restricting our access to the accounts between XXXX XXXX XXXX they never informed us that the next step would be freezing our accounts. Every time that happened we went to the branch offices and the banker would bouch for us on the phone and we would regain access to them.They never disclosed the conflict between our XXXX  status and having accounts opened in Chase bank given our nationalities. They never asked us if our XXXX  were XXXX  or XXXX XXXX. After placing the restriction the bank informed us that they would close our accounts and send us cashier checks on the mail to our address with the total sum of our funds, but they never did. That waiting time delayed us a month in taking any actions to solve our problem. It wasn't until XXXX that they informed us about XXXX taking control over our funds. 
As a result of these events we were left with no money to live. I haven't been able to pay the XXXX  tuition and now I'm facing probable expulsion from the XXXX XXXX program. If this happens we would have to leave the country. We are living under minimal conditions, barely making ends meet. Prioritizing food and shelter because anything else is a luxury right now. We are facing extreme financial hardship and now we also owe money to family and friends since only by borrowing money we have been able to pay bills.The remaining protocol to regain access to our funds now is to file an XXXX licensing. This could take months and even a year since they have to analyze and judge our case. The lack of transparency on their policy from the bank led us here. They asked us to call different offices from Chase corporation to request information and they all had different opinions and information about our situation. Some representatives said we could withdraw our funds and some didi n't even understand the protocols the bank was following. We have been abandoned to our luck and deprived of our money, which only purpose was to pay for my studies and our living expenses here.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation