Consumer complaint received 2025-12-24 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service
Issue: Opening an account — Confusing or missing disclosures
Company: Chime Financial Inc
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
XXXX  contracts with a company that, following a software update on a device, attempts to automatically install a variety of apps that pay to try to be installed. A user may not realize these are first of all checked because the check mark is very light gray on a white background, and second of all, some of these applications are financial products and services applications. One such is Chime, an online bank, credit service, credit repair service, investment account, and other financial services account operator. This is automatically checked for users to install and again easily missed and installed against a user 's wishes due to the intentionally deceptive light colored check marks on a bright background. This is a major problem because not only is it fraudulently attempting to inflate install numbers of their applications on the XXXX XXXX XXXX ( a direct violation of the XXXX XXXX terms and conditions ), but it also is putting an application that gathers device identifiers and information that ends up in the hands of the financial service regardless of wether you even open or hold an account with them by the simple act of installing the application. Just installing an application results in the creation of metadata unique to an individual device and user including the XXXX XXXX  that installed the application, which in turn leads to manipulation of the user 's advertising profile and ID and will result in the user seeing more advertisements from financial services such as Chime, in addition to Chime then also receiving access to the user 's advertising profile overall. This all ocurrs starting from an intentionally deceptive practice. 

The XXXX XXXX  application that XXXX uses is by a company who has already been found to have fraudulently and deceptively installed applications on users devices in such a manner. 

In fact XXXX, the company that is responsible for partnering with Chime and XXXX has even been in recent headlines. 

According to XXXX, " XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX on Wednesday confirmed it has shuttered a mobile software product that was allegedly enabling downloads of apps onto user devices without consent. 

A company spokesperson said in a statement shared with XXXX that XXXX eliminated Array last quarter. The product enabled device makers like XXXX and service carriers like XXXX to surface on-device app recommendations and allow seamless direct app downloads. '' XXXX responded by attempting to remove the XXXX XXXXXXXX application on users devices without warning in early XXXX on XX/XX/year>. Users came across a notification on their devices that either the app was successfully removed or unsuccessfully removed. They did not initiative the removal of this application. Furthermore at least one user, myself, reached out to XXXX customer service via XXXX XXXX XXXX As soon as I mentioned the XXXX  name from the notification I received, XXXX suspended my account wrongfully accusing me of perpetuating a XXXX XXXX incident because the app XXXX  had been added to the malicious application files of most XXXX XXXX XXXX. However I was not committing an offense against XXXX security but trying to determine if I was safe from such an incident myself as this was not something I initiated. It took days to remedy and the only reason it was remedied is because I have a business account with which I was able to contact XXXX customer service through. Otherwise there was no option to appeal on my personal account. That suspension was overturned by XXXX, but not before it interfered with my ability to communicate with others during an election in which I was an active and engaged volunteer and patient advocate. Not to mention it cut off access to multiple mental and physical health support groups, a form of treatment prescribed by physicians. 

In all, this amounts to a major issue that covers the involvement of multiple companies. However, Chime is the company paying the othere to commit the fraudulent, of at least nefarious and ethically questionable practice of unintentional install action on devices granting them unique information about users who never intended to grant Chime or their third party vendors any of their information whatsoever including their device metadata and identifiers, XXXX account information, and other information transmitted through a chain of actions that ocurr automatically upon installation of an application. This in addition to attempting to gain an unfair advantage over competitors by inflating app install numbers to climb the XXXX XXXX  for more exposure via both paid advertisements for placement in app stores and other targeted ads, but also via automatic categorization meant to influence the trust of users and potential users by showing that the application is more widely used than it truly is. Many unintentionally installed applications remain on users devices further creating concerns and tracking issues on top of unfair advantages and quite frankly engaging in legally dubious practices. 

Despite XXXX removing or attempting to remove the XXXX XXXX array application, it continues on many users devices without their ability to uninstall the app on their own either, and this app continued to push financial services to devices of users following a system software update on their device. This occurred again on XX/XX/year> upon successful updates of a XXXX XXXX device, on a service that is supposedly shut down by XXXX, further creating an even more nefarious and potentially misleading and illegal abuse of consumer trust and privacy while inflating a company 's image, and image of an online bank that can use app installs to demonstrate to potential investors that their company and financial interests are in a better position or are more widely used or engaged with leading to a fraudulent portrayal of the online bank application. This is very multifaceted and will likely need to involve a multi agency investigation and action including but not limited to the FTC, CFPB, FDIC, FCC, and other governmental agencies and third party organizations. In addition, XXXX has simply changed the name of Array and instead are using the same service under the name now of XXXX XXXX instead of XXXX  XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation