Consumer complaint received 2024-09-11 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: Chime Financial Inc
State: OK

Complaint narrative:
I am writing to formally demand immediate action on the unresolved fraudulent activity linked to my Chime account since XXXX, resulting in the loss of over {$36000.00}. Chimes continued negligence and blatant violations of both federal lawsincluding the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act ( EFTA ) as well as its breach of fiduciary duty, have left me in financial ruin. 

In XXXX, my Chime account was hacked, and the perpetrator, XXXX XXXX, was arrested and charged with identity theft and fraud. Despite Chimes knowledge of this, I have endured over XXXX years of confusion, contradictory information, and inaction regarding the resolution of this case. Immediately after my account was compromised and my contact details were changed, I contacted Chime, but it took nearly XXXX weeks for my identity to be verified. By the time access was restored, my account had already been closed, without prior notice or explanation. During that time, over {$36000.00} was fraudulently drained from my account. 

Chimes customer service has failed at every level to address this issue properly. Not only have I been misled repeatedly regarding the status of my dispute, but I was also informedthree years after the factthat disputes can not be filed on closed accounts and that my account must be reopened in order for the dispute to proceed. However, Chime refuses to reopen the account, placing me in a legal and financial purgatory. This is a clear violation of the EFTA, which mandates that financial institutions allow customers to dispute fraudulent transactions and investigate those disputes in a timely manner, regardless of the account status. 

Furthermore, Chime has allowed an open dispute for over {$10000.00} to linger unresolved for over XXXX years, with no determination made. It is unclear whether this dispute pertains to the fraudulent activity I reported or to a different matter, as I was informed that despite filing only XXXX dispute, Chime categorizes my claims into separate disputesone for my checking account and another for my XXXX XXXX account. The disorganization within XXXX dispute handling is both astounding and unlawful. 

Moreover, prior to Chime informing me that my account must be reopened for a dispute to be processed, I was instructed to have my account reopened so that a provisional credit could be issued. When I attempted to follow these instructions, I was again told that my account could not be reopened, further compounding the delays and violations of my rights. 

It is also important to highlight that the statute of limitations for violations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act is typically XXXX year. However, Chime did not disclose the truth about my dispute for over XXXX years, and it was only after XXXX years that I was finally informed that my account must be open to file a disputeeffectively stalling any opportunity for resolution and attempting to circumvent the statutory time limits through obfuscation and misinformation. These actions constitute a clear breach of Chimes fiduciary duties and a direct violation of federal consumer protection laws. 

I demand the following actions be taken immediately : Immediate filing and investigation of my dispute for all fraudulent transactions after XX/XX/year>, when my account was hacked. 
Resolution of the {$10000.00} open dispute that has been outstanding for XXXX years with no determination, and clarification on whether this dispute pertains to the fraudulent transactions on my account. 
Rectification of the fraudulent disputes filed by the criminal, XXXX XXXX, and notification to XXXX to clear my name from the negative balance and false claims. 
Cease any further misleading communications from Chime that reference unrelated disputes or irrelevant past matters. 
Failure to address these concerns immediately will result in my filing an XXXX formal complaint with all relevant regulatory bodies, including the CFPB, the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), the FTC, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Additionally, I will be releasing a short film about this situation to the media to expose Chimes reckless and unlawful behavior. 

You have a legal obligation to resolve this matter, and I expect a prompt and substantive response.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation