Consumer complaint received 2025-03-19 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
This case is a blatant example of fraud, deception, and outright theft, executed under the guise of a legitimate rental transaction. On XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX I encountered a woman who identified herself as XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX She presented herself as the landlord and gave me a full tour of the property, during which we discussed the rental terms. Under the assumption of good faith, I committed to securing the unit with a refundable deposit of {$3100.00} for a XX/XX/XXXX move-in datean agreement she verbally confirmed. 

Trusting her representation, I proceeded to send the deposit via XXXX from my Bank of America savings account ending in XXXX. Thats when the first red flag emerged. My bank flagged the payment for fraud because the recipients name was XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. Despite this discrepancy, I proceeded under the assumption that XXXX was a legal alias. However, I was never shown any identification to verify this. When my bank inquired whether I had met the supposed landlord in person, I truthfully confirmed that I had. As a result, the transaction was permittedan act of trust that XXXX and her co-conspirators clearly exploited. 

The fraud only became more apparent as time went on. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX sent a seemingly harmless XXXX XXXX XXXX message, reinforcing the illusion of legitimacy. But that was the last time she responded normally. Over the next several days, my attempts to contact her were met with silence. When she finally replied on XX/XX/XXXX, she claimed to be out of the country caring for her ill motheryet this too was a lie. When I attempted to text her, I discovered that she had blocked me. It was then that the reality of the scam fully set in : I had been deceived, manipulated, and robbed. Adding insult to injury, the account that received my funds was neither registered to XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX herselfmaking it abundantly clear that this was a calculated, premeditated scam. 

This is not just a case of simple miscommunication or misunderstandingit is theft, fraud, and a deliberate effort to deceive and exploit an honest tenant. This court must recognize the severity of this crime and deliver the justice this case demands. XXXX, or whatever her real name may be, knowingly took my money under false pretenses and then disappeared without fulfilling her obligations. Her actions are criminal, and she must be held accountable. 

The Failure of Bank of America and Systemic Negligence What makes this situation even more egregious is the complete failure of Bank of America to take any meaningful action to assist me as their loyal customer since XXXX. Despite clear evidence of fraud, Bank of America refused to resolve the scam or offer any restitution. Instead, they merely followed the legislated 10-calendar-day timeframe to investigate before declining my claimwithout any substantive review or assistance. Even after escalating the matter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ), Bank of America passively waited the full 90 days before responding with the exact same declination, showing blatant disregard for my situation and federal guidelines meant to protect victims of financial fraud. 

Given the well-documented rise in XXXX-related scams XXXX Bank of America has a duty to honor federal legislation laws designed to address imposter and rental scams. However, instead of acting in the interest of their customers, they have chosen to ignore this crime entirely. They should have pursued XXXX XXXXthe financial institution that allowed a fraudulent client to operate unchecked and commit these actions. XXXXXXXX XXXX  enabled this scammer by failing to freeze their fraudulent account or debit the stolen funds to return them to me. 

If this blatant negligence is not properly addressed, I will have no choice but to pursue a civil lawsuit against the scammer, Bank of America, and XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX for their collective failure to prevent, investigate, and rectify this fraudulent transaction. This court must recognize not only the criminal nature of the scam itself but also the reckless inaction of these financial institutions in failing to uphold their legal and ethical obligations to their customers. Their inaction directly contributed to this financial crime, and they must be held accountable. 

The Ongoing Fraudulent Activity at XXXX XXXX XXXX Since my incident, the fraudulent nature of this scam has continued unchecked. The property located at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, GA, was initially delisted under a legitimate realtor, seemingly in response to fraudulent activity. However, despite multiple reports to XXXX regarding this scam, the property was relisted again bXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX undeniable indication that this individual is still actively preying on unsuspecting renters. 

I have provided documentation proving the ongoing fraud, yet XXXX has failed to take meaningful action to prevent future victims from falling into the same trap. This court must recognize that this is not an isolated incident, but rather an organized and ongoing scam that continues to victimize renters, enabled by a lack of proper oversight from financial institutions and real estate platforms. 

Federal XXXX Regulations That Mandate Reimbursement for Fraud Victims On XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX revised its rules to require financial institutions offering peer-to-peer payment services to reimburse consumers for certain qualifying imposter scams. This update was implemented specifically to address the growing number of scams, like the one I fell victim to, that exploit XXXX instant money transfer system. 

Furthermore, in XX/XX/XXXX, Democrats in Congress introduced new legislation that now requires reimbursement for victims of qualifying imposter scams, particularly where the consumer was duped into sending money under false pretenses. 

Demand for Full Restitution from Bank of America My case falls directly within the scope of this legislation, as I was misled, deceived, and pressured into sending money to a fraudulent landlord operating under a fake identity. Bank of America is legally required to adhere to these federal regulations and issue reimbursement for qualifying XXXX scamsbut they have failed to do so. 

I demand that Bank of America fully reimburse me for the stolen {$3100.00} immediately. This is not a discretionary requestit is a legal obligation under federal financial protection laws. 

Escalation to Federal Regulatory Authorities Due to the complete failure XXXX Bank of America and XXXXXXXX XXXX to properly investigate and rectify this fraudulent transaction, I have taken additional measures by reporting this incident to both the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC ) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ( OCC ). These agencies oversee banking practices and are responsible for ensuring financial institutions comply with federal regulations and consumer protection laws. Their intervention is necessary, as Bank of Americas actionsor lack thereofdirectly violate federal financial regulations regarding fraud reimbursement, consumer protections, and financial oversight. 

If Bank of America and XXXX XXXX XXXX fail to uphold their legal obligations, I will be left with no choice but to file a civil lawsuit against all involved parties, including the scammer, Bank of America, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX for their complicity and negligence in allowing this fraud to continue unchecked. 

It is clear that unless swift legal action is taken, this scam will continue to persist, allowing criminals like XXXX to exploit more innocent renters. I demand full legal restitution, criminal charges against the scammer, and accountability from Bank of America, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX for their collective failure to stop this fraudulent operation. 

Enough is enough. Justice must be served.

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