Consumer complaint received 2024-03-15 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Urgent Request for Investigation and Full Refund of Fraudulent Transactions Linked to My XXXX and Fifth Third Bank Accounts Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to seek the assistance of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) in addressing a serious issue involving unauthorized transactions through my XXXX account , which subsequently affected my linked Fifth Third Bank account. Despite attempts to resolve this matter directly with both XXXX and Fifth Third Bank, my disputes have been unjustly denied, leaving me without restitution for the significant financial loss I have suffered. 

Summary of the Incident : As a loyal XXXX user for over XXXX years, I was alarmed to discover that my IRS tax refund had been illicitly withdrawn in multiple transactions, each exceeding {$100.00}. This fraudulent activity was not immediately apparent to XXXXXXXX XXXX security systems, leading to a significant breach of my financial security. 

Starting XX/XX/XXXX I discovered unauthorized transactions, I acted swiftly to contact the recipients, asking them of the situation, which resulted in the return of the funds to my XXXX account. These funds were then transferred back to my Fifth Third Bank account. On XX/XX/XXXX I notice unauthorized withdarwls also and contacted the recipient which funds were returned again. I was confused on what is going on with my XXXX account. I did not innitiate a dispute then because my funds where returned to me and I confused because I dealt with XXXX for years and never had an issue. On XX/XX/XXXX I notice unauthorzied transactions again. This time draining all of my federal tax refund that was deposited into my fifth third bank account only about a week earlier. This is when I file the claim. Over {$2200.00} has been sent to this same account and this time I could not get incontact with this person. I was in such shocked of this because I have did business with XXXX for years and have never been scammed. I heard of other people being scammed but I never experienced it. It seems to me that the scam is to send transactions small amounts of transactions to an account. Once the owner of the account notices, they send the money back. Creating transactions history. Then once they can pull out enough money out of someones bank account without them knowing they dissapear. XXXX denies the claim because the say transaction history is consistent. Scammers have figured out a new loophole in the XXXX system to scam account holders and be able to keep the funds without any negative effects to the paypal account that the scam is being run through. 

Points of Dispute : Flawed Transaction History Analysis : My dispute with XXXX was denied under the pretense that the transactions matched my usual activity. This ignores the reality that the transactions were unauthorized, highlighting a significant oversight in XXXXXXXX XXXX fraud detection measures. 
Recurring Security Breaches : This incident is the third instance of unauthorized access to my account, underscoring a recurring vulnerability that XXXX has failed to adequately address. 
Fifth Third Bank 's Non-compliance : Despite having a zero-liability policy for unauthorized transactions, Fifth Third Bank has also denied my claim, refusing to refund the fraudulently withdrawn funds. This failure to honor their own policy compounds the financial injury I have experienced. 
Proactive Security Measures : In response to these breaches, I have severed the link between my XXXX and Fifth Third Bank accounts to prevent further unauthorized access, albeit after the fact. This decision reflects my diminished trust in both entities ' security protocols. 

Request for Resolution : In light of Fifth Third Bank 's refusal to honor their zero-liability policy and XXXXXXXX XXXX  inadequate response to this breach of security, I am requesting a full refund of the compromised amounts from both institutions. I urge the CFPB to initiate a thorough investigation into the fraudulent activity associated with my accounts and the subsequent handling of my disputes by XXXX and Fifth Third Bank. 

Your immediate attention to this matter is critical, not only for the recovery of my funds but also to address potential systemic issues within these financial services that jeopardize consumer protection and trust. 

I am fully prepared to cooperate with your investigation and provide any additional information required. I appreciate your prompt response to this urgent matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation