Consumer complaint received 2024-09-11 00:00:00
Product: Prepaid card — Government benefit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer — Charged for a purchase or transfer you did not make with the card
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I received a letter stating that my claim was denied based on an allegation that I had falsely claimed to Bank of America that I possessed my card, which is unequivocally untrue. My initial interaction with Bank of America took place in XX/XX/XXXX when I received XXXX letters acknowledging the bank 's receipt of my claim. However, I had not initiated any such claims. When I contacted the number provided in the letter, the representative was unable to assist me due to my lack of necessary security information, and the telephone number on file did not belong to me. 

The representative recommended that I visit a local branch with XXXX forms of identification. The following day, I went to the branch, confirmed my identity, and updated my information. I made it explicitly clear to the representative that I had not made any claims or authorized any unauthorized charges. The representative informed me that it would be more expedient to rectify the existing claims rather than initiating the process anew. 

Before XX/XX/XXXX, I had not made contact with Bank of America or initiated any claims. This can be substantiated by the fact that the phone number and security information on the account was not known to me until XX/XX/XXXX when it was changed. It is evident that my identity has been stolen, and someone else has had control of my account from the outset. 

Despite investing over XXXX hours on hold or providing documents to support my case, I was repeatedly told that I had authorized someone else. I have provided substantial evidence, including proof of my location, an affidavit from my employer confirming I was not in the state, identity theft and police reports, birth certificate, state identification, social security card, verification by a bank employee at the branch, written statements, and information from the local police department about the arrest of someone in possession of letters and a debit card in my name. 

I am confident that I am a victim of identity theft as my ATM/debit card was stolen, and I did not authorize any transactions from XX/XX/XXXX, onwards, or permit anyone else to use my card. Pursuant to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E, I vehemently insist that the bank conducts a thorough investigation into any unauthorized transactions, closes my account, restores any wrongfully withdrawn funds, and provides written confirmation of the results. 

Furthermore, I want to emphasize that I was a loyal Bank of America customer with a non-EDD account and received excellent service. However, when I expected the same level of service for my EDD account, I was disappointed to find myself treated with no importance or urgency. Despite my efforts, I have not received a single call from their investigation team, which leads me to question the thoroughness of their investigation. I was given no specific guidance on the documents to submit, only vague instructions to gather information that I felt would be helpful. Additionally, these documents could only be sent by fax or certified mail, adding unnecessary delay to the process. After submitting the documents, it took an unreasonable amount of time for them to be attached to my account. Despite my repeated requests, I was consistently told that there was nobody else I could speak to. It is important for Bank of America to understand that despite the nature of my account being unemployment-related, I am not a subpar customer and should be treated with the same urgency, respect, and willingness to resolve issues as their regular customers. I have firsthand experience as a regular customer and can attest to the difference in treatment between EDD and regular accounts by Bank of America employees.

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 explanation