Consumer complaint received 2024-03-18 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX my family and I traveled from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  to visit family for the XXXX holiday. Upon returning to XXXX XXXX on the night of XX/XX/XXXX, I discovered XXXX unauthorized charges to our joint checking account totaling {$870.00} using my debit card. The charges began at a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and then moved to the XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX. We had been vacationing more than XXXX miles away from XXXX and XXXX, in XXXX, TX. I immediately called Chase and initiated a fraud claim. XXXX of the questions they asked was, " Was your card lost or stolen? '' I answered, No, since I had the physical card with me. Chase proceeded to cancel the card and issue a new one. They also credited my account for all XXXX of the reported unauthorized charges. We thought nothing more of it as this is not the first time we've ever had to report unauthorized charges. 

On XX/XX/XXXX we woke up to notifications of overdraft protection transfers on our account. Chase had reversed ALL of the charges overnight. I promptly got on the phone. After a few transfers a representative in the claims center informed me that the fraud investigators said the transactions were completed with chip and PIN and therefore the card was present and they were authorized charges. I argued that that was not possible as I had the physical card and we were in XXXX XXXX on a layover before boarding the last leg of our flight back to XXXX when the largest set of unauthorized transactions occurred at XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. He explained to me where I could upload documents in order to present my evidence disputing this. I proceeded to upload multiple screenshots of photos with the metadata showing my physical location in XXXX Texas on the dates in question. I also uploaded my receipt/travel itinerary from XXXX XXXX to show the dates/times/destination of travel. As well as my Drivers License to verify my picture and signature ( assuming they might do some actual research ). 

After waiting XXXX business days and not seeing the funds returned to my account, I called the claims center again. I was told that my claim was denied again. This time the agent said that a transaction in XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX that we did not dispute was the reason our claim was denied and also that my photos were not evidence. He said the investigators determined the transaction in XXXX was a similar merchant and in the same geographic area as the reported unauthorized charges. The transaction was not claimed because it was my transaction with the airport snack/magazine merchant to get snacks and water before we boarded our flight home. The fraud transactions were all done at restaurants/entertainment merchants that are not at all similar to what is essentially a XXXX in the airport. Furthermore, the fraudulent charges occurred more than XXXX away, not at all in the same geographic location. I proceeded to request the Research Materials that were used to make the decision. After waiting 7 days for the materials to arrive, it turns out there are no actual research materials. The paperwork sent was the same notification letter that could be accessed in the Letters and Documents area of the Chase website. 

I had been told that if I got any new information, I could upload it and request for the claim to be reopened. So I proceeded to do my own actual investigation. I called the XXXX merchants where the majority of the charges happened, and they were very informative. I followed up with emails asking them if the transactions were chip/PIN or swipe/signature. Both merchants responded that the transactions were swipe/signature. They sent me scanned copies of the signed receipts. As expected the thieves didn't attempt to use my name. They signed with their own names, and the signatures are not even close to mine. The Chase fraud investigators did none of this simple research. I aggregated all of the information to make a single document of the email correspondence and receipt scans from each merchant. This was all uploaded to the Chase website along with a letter outlining the events, the XXXX itinerary proving that we were in XXXX XXXX when the thieves were making charges in XXXX, and my Drivers License for signature comparison. Again I called to request the claim be reopened and the agent confirmed the request. After XXXX business days I began checking daily in the document center looking for any notice as well as a deposit of funds. I found neither. After XXXX business days had passed, I finally called again. The agent informed me that the investigative team had declined to reopen the claim and was staying with their original conclusion. I was speechless that this was their conclusion despite twice providing them with information that any reasonable person would conclude proved my case, and I also couldnt believe that they didnt put any answer in writing in the document center. 

My wife and I have spent many hours on the phone with Chase, doing our own investigation, gathering the evidence, and submitting all of these documents. I want Chase to do the right thing and return all of the funds from these unauthorized, fraudulent charges. I believe that no reasonable person could conclude anything less.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation