Consumer complaint received 2024-05-12 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Money order, traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Bank of America for their insufficient response and failure to assist during a critical incident of fraud that has severely impacted my financial stability. This complaint outlines a sequence of events that not only involves a sophisticated scam but also highlights the bank 's negligence in providing necessary support and taking proactive measures to mitigate the issue. 

On XX/XX/year>, I engaged with a prospective buyer named XXXX XXXX for the sale of my car, priced at {$81000.00}, listed on XXXX. XXXX XXXX expressed his intention to purchase the car and arranged for the payment of {$95000.00} by personal check to cover both the cost of the car and an additional {$14000.00} for a movers service. Believing that the transaction was legitimate, I deposited the check at the Bank of America XXXX located at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX. I was informed by the bank personnel that the funds would be available in my account by XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my account and observed that the {$95000.00} was in the processing stage. On XX/XX/XXXX, upon confirming from my bank statement that the funds had been credited, I complied with the buyer 's request to send {$13000.00} via cashier 's check to the movers via XXXX mail ( after deducting a {$50.00} handling fee from {$14000.00} ). This decision was based on the belief that the credited funds were verified and secure. However, on the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, I discovered that the entire amount of {$95000.00} had been debited from my account without any prior notification to me, indicating that the initial check from XXXX XXXX was fraudulent. 

Upon realizing this, I immediately approached the same Bank of America branch at XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at the opening time of XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX, having arrived XXXX minutes earlier, to seek urgent assistance in preventing the transfer of {$13000.00} to the fraudulent party. I emphasized to the XXXX  XXXX that the amount in question represented a significant portion of my savings, earmarked for my daughter 's upcoming tuition fee next month. Despite the clear evidence of fraud and understanding the importance of this amount for me, the XXXX was unhelpful and dismissive. He refused to take any immediate action such as temporarily holding the cash-out of the cashier 's check, verifying whether the check had been cashed, or providing guidance on how to address the fraudulent transaction. 

I was even more frustrated post my engagement with Bank of Americas XXXX XXXX XXXX today, XX/XX/XXXX. I spoke for about XXXX minutes with a customer service agent named XXXX, who not only failed to address my concerns effectively but also provided incorrect information that led to further complications. Despite my requests for urgent intervention to stop the {$13000.00} check from being cashed, the agent insisted on focusing on a claim for the original {$95000.00} and advised me to revisit the XXXX XXXX branch, a XXXX XXXX ( given I was in NJ today ), under the pretense that only they could access certain details pertinent to my case. This direction proved futile and incorrect as the branch number provided was wrong, and the actual branch hours were misrepresented, further delaying potential resolutions. XXXX informed me that the relevant fraud prevention team was on leave over the weekend, thus she was unable to reach out to them. This situation is completely unacceptable as fraud can occur at any time, including weekends. This experience calls into question the effectiveness of Bank of America 's customer service and its protocols for handling fraud, especially for customers who may not be in the country and can not access a branch physically. This lack of flexibility and readiness to assist customers remotely is unacceptable in a global banking environment. 

The unresponsiveness of the bank has placed me in a precarious financial position, jeopardizing my ability to fund my daughter 's upcoming tuition and profoundly affecting our financial security. The banks failure to act promptly or to provide clear information during this time was not only unprofessional but also indicative of a broader disregard for customer protection and fraud prevention. 

Enclosed herewith are the pertinent documents, including the screenshot of the cashier 's check, the fraudulent check issued by the buyer, and bank statements documenting the transactions in question. Additionally, I possess a recording of my conversation with XXXX, a customer service representative at the bank, during which I informed her that the call was being recorded. I am prepared to provide this recording as well. Should you require any further details, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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