Consumer complaint received 2025-10-31 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: BMO BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX, XXXXMy wife XXXX and I go into the BMO branch located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX to open a joint checking account. We have 4 checks in XXXX currency to deposit including one from XXXX XXXX, a major financial firm, and one from the XXXX government in XXXXXXXX XXXX  name ( tax return from a couple years ago ). We provide proof of identification including passports, my permanent residence card, social security cards, driver 's licenses, and proof of current address. The account is opened and the checks are deposited in person. We are told it shouldn't take more than 5-7 business days for the checks to clear. 

XX/XX/XXXX, XXXXReceive a phone call from an unknown number not identifying themselves and asking " if we had recently opened a bank account. '' I state that I don't know the person calling and do not trust the phone number, and will not be answering any questions. I am told I " can access the website or call the number if I so choose. '' No other information is given to me, and I hang up. 

XXXX XXXX-The checking account shows an outstanding balance of {$51000.00}. Four debit transactions are made on the checking account this day ( I assumed foreign currency transactions, one for each check ), which brings the total outstanding balance to {$36000.00}. The available balance says {$0.00}. I do the math and despite the grossly inflated exchange rate ( XXXX vs. the googled exchange rate of XXXX, a material difference of nearly {$800.00}! ), it appears this will be the final balance. 

~Oct. XXXXThe available balance on the account now reads {$36000.00}. I assume the checks have settled. 

Sunday, XXXX XXXX. I log into the account and see an available balance of {$0.00}, and a debit for the above amount with a " CLOSE '' next to the amount. 

Monday morning, XXXX 27-Panicked, I call the customer hotline at XXXX and inquire what is happening. The customer service agent tells me that my account does appear to be closed, but that " you may have a check being issued to you '' but that I must wait on the line to speak to someone in the fraud department. I am transferred to the fraud department where I inquire what has happened. I am told I was called on XX/XX/XXXX to " verify my ID. '' I state that I was never asked to verify ID, that I did not know who the phone call was from and I am not going to answer questions to an unknown person. I ask why I would need to verify my ID when both my wife and I brought multiple pieces of ID in person to a branch, and am told " that's just the way it is. You shouldn't have told us you didn't trust the number. '' I ask her how she would react to a phone call from an unknown number making inquiries into her banking activities and she tells me " she understands, but I should have verified my ID at the following address and rifles off a website too fast for me to understand. I tell her I am willing to verify my ID and am told " it doesn't matter, it's too late now, you will have to recall from the issuer. '' I ask her if the funds have been settled, because it will probably not be possible for the counterparty to recall funds if they've already settled and she won't answer my question. I ask her how can I get my checks back or my money and she says again " you will have to recall from the issuer '' and hangs up on me. 

After that call, I call the branch representative who opened our account, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) and tell her what has happened. She says she's not sure if there is much she can do to help, but she will try. XXXX is a very nice person and I think has done the best to help that she can. When I explain to her what fraud told me, she says " that's not what I'm seeing on my end, let me see what I can find out about where the checks are and I will get back to you. '' XXXX XXXX-I call XXXX again and inquire if she has found anything out. She says she is waiting to hear back from fraud over an email she sent and will get back to me as soon as possible. I decide I will give her some breathing room and call back in 2 days. 

XXXX XXXXI call the fraud department in the morning and inquire how to get my property back. I am told the reason my account was closed is because I did not verify my ID. I again state that I never received a request to verify my ID, only a request from a person from an unknown phone number " if I had opened an account recently. '' She asks me if I ever received another call or anything in the mail to which I respond " No. '' I am told the reason for multiple layers of ID verification is due to legislation from XXXX. I tell her I understand and am perfectly willing to verify my ID. I am told I must go into a branch with " proof of residence and proof of current address. '' I say I will do that today. She also tells me once that is done my funds will be returned to me, but I can open another account at any time. 

Later that day, I go into the same branch listed above and again provide my documents to XXXX, which she scans and says she will " email to the fraud department right now. '' She tells me that they told her it might not be good enough. I ask if I should open a new account and she says " not til this is cleared up. '' She also says that she hopes to get a response from them by today or tomorrow. 

I have heard nothing from anyone at the bank up to this point. Due to the multiple conflicting pieces of information I have received from multiple parties, I have decided to file this complaint to find a resolution to this issue.

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 explanation