Consumer complaint received 2025-05-19 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX Chase Bank teller XXXX allowed my XXXX  and I to endorse my federal ( {$3500.00} ) and state ( {$940.00} ) refund checks into her checking account. They said both checks would clear XXXX. We retrned XX/XX/XXXX and the same teller advised that my XXXX  's account was now frozen. She said the fraud department needed my phone number to verify me. This, even though I had shown her my identification and even offered to show my passport. The problem is I now live abroad and didn't have a XXXX phone number, only a XXXX number that is only reachable through XXXX. So I went out of my way to get a XXXX XXXX prepaid plan only to find out that this also was not sufficient, since my name is not attached to it. Their fraud department said the best thing to do is to cancel both my checks and have them reissued. I did this, but the IRS sent paperwork, with copy of endorsements showing the check as cashed. But chase never gave me any money, and they admit that they are holding the checks. I have met with the branch manager, XXXX XXXX, XXXX  and her hands are tied. She herself has also given Chase upper management feedback.Since this has happened to other clients. She said that sometimes the checks go through and sometimes they don't. I asked her why the tellers are not trained on this, and that the teller should not have told us we could deposit these checks. She did not have an answer for me. The whole thing seems flawed, and not customer centric at all. I spoke with an IRS Representative XXXX, and she said that banks absolutely know they are not supposed to be depositing federal refunds into accounts whose name doesn't match the check. My last meeting with XXXX from XXXX  hwas XX/XX/XXXX, where's she advise that the phone needs to be under my name. She thinks this would be the easiest solution and suggested that I open a postpaid phone account. She said once I do that, they could easily and quickly give me the money. She said she would try to see if the fraud department could issue a letter stating why they are holding both checks, but it is not their custom to do so. She called the fraud department and they said that they have many cases like this. Where funds are simply suspended and accounts closed without giving reason to the customer. I took her advice and I opened up a XXXX XXXX postpaid account, but when my XXXX  called the fraud department today XX/XX/XXXX to have them verify me, they could not. They said my number would have to be public record, and they can't find it in their vetification system. and since I recently opened it maybe we should wait a week to call them again. My XXXX  then asked them to see if her cell number was in the public records, given that she's had her cell number for at least a year. But they could not find hers either. Whatever system chase is using to verify people through their number is not working for the client. Chase should have a better way to verify clients and should allow branch managers to see all of the client 's identification.In order to put funds through and verify the client. This practice of holding funds and only offering one verification form seems quite illegal and very unfair to the customer. I have been trying to get back to my home abroad. But this issue is holding me back and making me waste more money in time. This money rightfully belongs to me. Until I get that money these checks in essrncr are both state and federal documents that are being held hostage by chase bank.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation