Consumer complaint received 2026-05-27 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
Dear CFPB Team, I hope this message finds you well. I am sharing this experience regarding XXXX handling of unauthorized charges on my account and the manner in which my fraud claim was investigated and denied. On the evening of XX/XX/XXXX, I got notifications on my phone for XXXX charges on my XXXX account that I did not recognize or authorize. XXXX charges were from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the amounts of {$5.00} and {$35.00}, and another XXXX charges were from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the amounts of {$130.00} and {$35.00}. I immediately reported all XXXX charges as fraudulent by calling XXXX fraud investigation department through their corporate XXXX number. During that call, I was reassured that a replacement card would be issued and that temporary credits would be applied to my account while the investigation was being conducted. I also received an email stating that temporary credits would appear on my account and that I would be notified if those credits were later reversed. The following day, on XX/XX/XXXX, I noticed that XXXX had merged the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX charges into a single {$40.00} charge and the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX charges into a single {$170.00} charge. I found it unusual that posted charges on my account history could be altered in this way, although I did not think much of it at the time. On XX/XX/XXXX, temporary credits of {$40.00} and {$170.00} were applied to my account as promised. Then, on XX/XX/XXXX at approximately XXXX XXXX, I received a call from XXXX fraud investigation department requesting additional information regarding my claim. During the conversation, the representative asked whether I had lost my wallet or credit card, to which I truthfully responded that I had not. I then asked whether she could see any information indicating whether the charges originated from a business or an individual, or whether any additional information regarding the charges was available. She stated that she could not see such information and mentioned that she was conducting a XXXX search of the merchant names herself to gather more information. I found the representatives demeanor throughout the conversation dismissive and unempathetic. She did not acknowledge the seriousness of the situation or express concern regarding the fraudulent activity on my account. When I later logged into my XXXX account, I discovered that the temporary credits had been reversed. Contrary to what XXXX had previously promised, I received no notification, email, letter, or communication of any kind regarding this reversal. In fact, the reversed charges did not appear anywhere in my account activity within the XXXX mobile app, and I was only able to see them after logging into my account through a web browser. Additionally, XXXX displayed these reversed charges under the original date of XX/XX/XXXX rather than under the current date of XX/XX/XXXX, which I found confusing and concerning, as it made the reversal significantly less visible in my account history. As a result, I had to contact XXXX myself to follow up on the matter. During that process, I was transferred between XXXX different representatives before finally reaching someone who informed me that the investigation had already been completed. The representative explained that XXXX denied the security adjustment because the charges were allegedly made through XXXX XXXX, which requires biometric authentication, a PIN, or a passcode. However, I find this reasoning entirely unacceptable. When I requested proof showing that I personally authorized these charges, the representative was unable to provide any evidence and simply repeated that XXXX XXXX itself requires authentication. The mere fact that charges were processed through XXXX XXXX does not establish that I personally authorized them. My position is that my payment credentials or XXXX XXXX authorization process were compromised, bypassed, or exploited by an unauthorized party. Furthermore, XXXX publicly advertises a {$0.00} Fraud Liability policy. Although there is a legal disclaimer associated with that policy, it specifically states that an unauthorized purchase is XXXX in which the cardholder did not give access to their card information to another person or merchant for one-time or repeated charges, and that the cardholder exercised reasonable care in protecting the card information. That is precisely the situation in this case. I did not authorize these charges, did not share my card information with anyone, and exercised reasonable care in protecting my account and devices. In addition, I conducted my own investigation and located the merchant addresses associated with these charges through the payment information available in the XXXX app. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX is associated with XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, NJ XXXX, while XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is associated with XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, NJ XXXX. A quick search on XXXX Maps showed that both locations appear to be residential apartment addresses rather than legitimate retail storefronts. Furthermore, these charges occurred within minutes of XXXX another, it is physically impossible for anyone to travel between those separate locations with different zip codes and complete the charges within minutes. This further supports my position that the charges were unauthorized. I also found it deeply upsetting and accusatory that XXXX concluded I had authorized these charges without providing any actual proof. I have been a XXXX customer since 2019, and this is the first time I have ever reported fraudulent activity or disputed charges on my account. I have consistently made my payments on time and maintained my account in good standing. Under these circumstances, I found it unfair and discouraging that XXXX refused to reimburse the fraudulent charges despite my long-standing history as a responsible customer. I would also like to clarify that this matter does not involve a dispute regarding goods or services, or dissatisfaction with a purchase. I did not purchase anything, did not authorize any purchase, and did not receive any goods or services related to these charges. Therefore, in my view, there were no legitimate transactions to dispute in the ordinary consumer sense. The issue is solely that unauthorized charges appeared on my account without my knowledge or consent. Finally, I was extremely disappointed by the overall customer service experience. Multiple representatives repeatedly redirected my calls, failed to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, and demonstrated very little empathy throughout the process. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. I truly appreciate your time and consideration.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation