Consumer complaint received 2026-06-08 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Overdrafts and overdraft fees
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a formal consumer complaint against my bank, Santander for failing to properly investigate and resolve a clear case of debit card fraud under federal Regulation E ( Electronic Fund Transfer Act ). A series of unauthorized transactions occurred on my checking account, all originating from an entity labeled " XXXX XXXX '' in XXXX. Neither myself nor my physical debit card has ever been in XXXX, and I did not make, authorize, or benefit from these transactions. My card details were evidently cloned or skimmed by fraudsters. The timeline of relevant events, transactions, and subsequent bank actions is detailed below : XX/XX/year> : The unauthorized activity began with XXXX cash withdrawals and transaction fees associated with identifier " XXXX '' totaling {$160.00} ( XXXX cash withdrawals of {$80.00} each, and XXXX international transaction fees of {$3.00} each ). XXXX separate cash withdrawal fees of {$6.00} each were also assessed. XX/XX/year> : Fraudsters made XXXX more unauthorized cash withdrawals of {$150.00} each, alongside XXXX international transaction fees of {$6.00} each and XXXX cash withdrawal fees of {$6.00} each. XX/XX/year> : The unauthorized activity continued under a slightly altered identifier " XXXX '' with a cash withdrawal of {$80.00}, an international transaction fee of {$3.00}, a cash withdrawal of {$21.00}, and an international transaction fee of {$0.00}. XXXX cash withdrawal fees of {$6.00} each were also applied. XX/XX/XXXX & XXXX, XXXX : Because these fraudulent withdrawals drained my funds, the bank charged me XXXX separate {$15.00} " Insufficient Funds Fee - Item Paid '' penalties. XX/XX/year> : The bank initially issued temporary or provisional credits for the disputed amounts. These included XXXX " XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX '' of {$160.00} each, XXXX credits of {$89.00} each, and a {$28.00} credit. They also reversed XXXX insufficient funds fees via {$15.00} credits labeled " Withdrawal Error Correction XXXX Insf Fees Check ''. XX/XX/year> : The bank closed its investigation and denied my claim solely on the basis that a " physical card '' was swiped. Upon closing the case, they aggressively reversed all prior credits to claw back the money. They hit my account with a series of " Purchase Correction Debits '' consisting of XXXX charges of {$160.00} each, XXXX charges of {$89.00} each, and XXXX charge of {$28.00}. Furthermore, they re-applied XXXX separate {$15.00} " Withdrawal Error Correction XXXX Insf Fees Check '' penalties. XX/XX/year> : Due to the account being forced back into the negative by the bank 's clawback, a " Sustained Overdraft Fee '' of {$15.00} was applied. Actions taken by me and the current status : When the bank informed me of these suspicious transactions, I moved my remaining legitimate funds out of the account to prevent further theft. Because the bank reversed the credits and applied punitive fees, my checking account is now trapped in a negative balance of over - {$200.00}. The bank is currently calling me every single day demanding payment for this fraudulent debt. Furthermore, they have restricted my access to XXXX, which actively prevents me from paying my legitimate, essential household bills. The bank 's justificationthat a " physical card '' was presentcompletely ignores the widespread financial reality of card cloning and skimming. I request that the CFPB compel the bank to properly reinvestigate this claim under Regulation E, permanently reverse the fraudulent debits and all associated overdraft/insufficient funds fees, lift the restriction on my XXXX access, and cease all daily collection calls.

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 monetary relief