Consumer complaint received 2025-06-02 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CT

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, I received a call from someone representing themselves as the Bank of America ( BoA ). They said they were calling about some suspicious attempts and charges to my BoA bank card. The first XXXX transactions they mentioned were not authorized. The person then went on to list a few other transactions which were authorized. So this person could see my card activity. They said they would cancel the card account and send me a new card. They also told me my bank balances ( I had not shared my account information ) and told me that those looked secure. All of this led me to believe I was speaking to a bank representative. They said there were a few steps we could take to better secure the account and sent me a series of codes ( just like BoA does when I work with them by phone ). They were talking to me at the same time, and assuring me that these steps would better secure my account. When I got off the phone, I immediately saw an email from the Bank of America confirming a wire transfer. I called the bank immediately and said that I did not want to conduct any such transfer. The scammer was inside my account, arranging for a wire transfer, but telling me she was securing my account. When I read the codes to her, they were, in fact, authorizing a wire transfer. I did not understand this, and she obviously did not tell me what she was doing. I wasted no time in calling the bank. I believe there is a law that my XXXX ( XXXX ) from CT co-sponsored that allowed for a delay before a wire transfer could take place, in order for rigorous authentication to take place. This transaction should have warranted a red flag on my account and should have been denied or delayed until the bank could reach me personally by phone. To my recollection, I had not done wire transfers before. This was unusual activity. When I go to Florida each winter, when I go to use my bank card at the grocery store for {$30.00}, the bank will decline my card! They think it's suspicious. I have to cancel my grocery transaction and go make a XXXX call to them in order for them to allow me to make charges on XXXX XXXX. Why would a {$64000.00} wire transfer not warrant that same amount of scrutiny? They should have declined as abnormal activity. The bank has initially investigated and denied my claim, saying they were not at fault because I unwittingly authorized this transaction. I did not know that is what I was doing. It was fraudulent, based on someone's having breached the BoA accounts. They need better security. That never should have been allowed to happen. Our money is not safe at their bank. We have resubmitted a claim to them, wherein they made us state that they were not at fault. They would not investigate further, had we not signed it. But my understanding is that federal law supersedes any waivers that they try to force on us. They had already denied my claim. This was a second attempt at trying to get my money back. My understanding is that they must reimburse me, according to federal law, since this was an unauthorized transfer. They are denying this. Thank you for any help you can provide. The bottom line is that my account was not safe, and I while I did unwittingly succumb to a scam, I never intended to send a wire of any kind. It was unauthorized and should have been flagged as suspicious and declined.

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