Consumer complaint received 2025-10-24 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX I attempted to Mobile deposit by check image a check of {$4000.00} into my account.

It was rejected. I then called Regions Bank XXXX number and was to hold most likely it was due to that I had a negative balance of a banking fee that I was unaware of {$13.00} that posted on XXXX the XXXX XXXX. 
So on XXXX XXXX i deposited money of {$30.00} via XXXX  to bring the account to the positive. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I went into my local XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX of Regions Bank where I have a checking account and presented the checks for deposit .. there were two of them each one written for {$4000.00} made out to my name written by the same individual that was to be a small loan to cover my college tuition with the first check and the XXXX where I was staying for the month with the second check. For a total of {$8000.00}.

The teller immediately attempted to verify the checks while I waited for an hour but was unable to verify them.

She informed me that a small percentage of each check should be made available to me and that the hold would expire on XX/XX/XXXX and the balance of the funds would be available the next day.

I left the bank empty-handed with no money due to the checks could not be verified.

On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX I received an email stating " the availability of these funds is being delayed because your account has been overdrawn repeatedly in the past six months '' and that the funds would be made available on XX/XX/XXXX. 
I looked at my online bank account on XXXX and it showed that the amount of the checks was available in my checking account in the amount of {$8000.00}. 
So I was waiting until XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX on my deposit. Then on XX/XX/XXXX I received an email stating that the deposits were under suspicion of fraud, unauthorized or unlawful activity. I was informed in the same email that my account was placed under restrictive actions and that I should try not to make any transactions. 
Of course I immediately called regions XXXX number but yet I could get no information. I explained that there must be some kind of mistake because there was nothing fraudulent about any of the checks or activities and that I would provide any information that I possibly could to them to rule out any possibility of fraud. 
At this time myself and my husband both tried to contact our acquaintance that wrote the checks but he and his wife were on vacation and were unable to be reached. 
We received a XXXX XXXX message stating that he would handle this when he returned from vacation.

In the meantime I have been to the regions branch in XXXX Georgia and spoken with the branch manager in depth and attempted to provide anything that I could to rule out fraud The branch manager spoke with the fraud department and they were requiring specific information such as a letterhead from XXXX XXXX  with all of XXXX XXXX historical transactions to include the check images where they had cleared, or to include his balance to show that that he had enough money in the account for the checks to clear. And they requested it to be emailed to the branch manager. 
XXXX XXXX is an elderly man and is not technologically savvy. He could have logged into his bank account and retrieve this information however he and his wife have an office that usually perform those actions and they were on vacation and their cell phone unfortunately was not equipped to handle such task and was a basic cell phone. 
While I was in the bank I was informed that my checking account was closed and that the money was being held until the fraud department could be satisfied that XXXX XXXX had the money in his account at XXXX XXXX  or proof that the checks cleared I became very frustrated at this point because he was unable to provide that documentation and I was in such a desperate position because the checks had been held since XXXX the XXXX and it was at that time almost 2 weeks of being held without any income in my bank account Frozen and now closed with no money at all and I am in the middle of traveling back from Georgia to Mississippi Today XXXX XXXX went to XXXX XXXX  in Florida and retrieve documentation from his bank and it was emailed as requested to the bank branch manager at regions in XXXX from my email personally with five attachments of documentation, and reportedly from his email also along with a number for Regions to call XXXX XXXX  for verification of this information.

What I'm not understanding is if the checks have cleared and been cashed through regions why are they still holding the money and why have they closed my account if no fraud can be proven and if no unlawful activity can be proven.

I am a female traveling to see my grandchildren in Mississippi frequently from Georgia and have been without any funds of any type for almost 2 weeks. My bills are behind my tuition is not paid and my XXXX is not paid. We have attempted to overcome every hurdle that regions has placed in front of us.

I made a phone call to one of the managers at Regions Bank in XXXX Georgia to verify that she had received the documentation and the number to verify at XXXX XXXX  And she was very pleasant and very concerned and stated that she was training a new employee and that she would check as soon as she could to read the email She stated if the required information was there she would forward it to the fraud department for review I stressed the timeliness of this and the extreme need for the funds to be released due to me being in another state and traveling.

She stated that it would probably be Monday XX/XX/XXXX until they were able to review it or possibly release it if they deem necessary This is completely unacceptable.

If the checks have been cashed and there is no problem with the checks why am I not being allowed access to my funds?

Not only am I not being allowed access to my money, but now I'm going to have an involuntary Bank closure on my future business dealings that I'm going to have to overcome somehow or another when no fraud has been proven on my behalf and there has been no proof of any fraud shown to me or provided to any of the parties listed to include myself, XXXX XXXX, and as far as I understand the bank has not been provided with any proof of fraud related to either of these checks This is unacceptable if the checks have cashed and the money is being held. 
Today is Friday XXXX the XXXX XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX and I have not received a phone call yet stating that the emails and documentation will received, or if they were adequate, or what steps to take next. 

I am a human being. I need gas to make my car go, I need food to nourish my body, I need roof over my head for shelter, I need medical care because now because I have been put through all of this stress my immune system is low and now I have XXXX XXXX and need medical attention.

I explained this to the manager at regions that this has been extremely stressful and is not good for anyone 's mental health. This stress has caused problems with business relationships, problems with family relationships, and friends.

All of these things may not matter to Regions Bank but all of these things are what gets me out of bed daily and now I don't even have that.

And through no fault of mine I understand if you want to penalize me for having a negative balance due to me using my online transaction history to go by without considering there may be Bank charges and many of them if you will look... Regions makes a fortune off of me for ATM withdrawals.

The fact that you're holding my money when I pay so many fees to your bank is just ridiculous. 
But on XX/XX/XXXX my money should have been released. 
If those checks are cleared why are they still holding this money?

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