Consumer complaint received 2026-05-04 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
FORMAL DISPUTE, FRAUD CLAIM, AND NOTICE OF REGULATORY ESCALATION Unauthorized Balance Transfer and Associated Fees I am writing to formally dispute an unauthorized balance transfer in the amount of {$17000.00}, along with an associated transaction fee of {$690.00}, posted to my credit card account ending in XXXX. This transaction was not authorized by me, occurred without my knowledge or consent, and took place during a documented XXXX XXXX attack and coordinated fraud attempt targeting my accounts. The funds were transferred to an XXXX XXXX issued by XXXX XXXX ( account ending in XXXX ), with which I have no affiliation and no corresponding account on my credit reports ( see XXXX XXXX ). I am also formally disputing the handling of my claim, which has now been closed multiple times without explanation, without evidence review, and while I was actively attempting to submit documentation. XXXX. CONTEXT : COORDINATED FRAUD PATTERN Beginning XX/XX/XXXX, I was subjected to a large-scale spam attack, coinciding with repeated fraudulent attempts to transfer funds to external Apple Card accounts : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX ) This demonstrates a persistent and evolving fraud attempt, not an isolated event. XXXX. CRITICAL FACTS ESTABLISHING FRAUD I have never conducted a balance transfer of this magnitude and any transfers I have done recently have been to pay off my Bank of America cards I have no relationship with either account ( XXXX or XXXX ) Neither account appears on my credit reports ( Exhibit XXXX ) No new accounts or inquiries exist I have never carried a balance remotely approaching {$17000.00} Most critically : A fraudulent balance transfer attempt on XX/XX/XXXX was made using a newly reissued card that had not been opened, accessed, or activated by me. This confirms the activity was not initiated by me and could not have been authorized through normal account access. Detailed Chronological Timeline of Events XX/XX/XXXX Spam Bombing Attack Begins/ Credit Bureaus Frozen On XX/XX/XXXX, I began experiencing what appeared to be a coordinated spam bombing attack against my email account. I was receiving an overwhelming volume of spam emails, which appeared designed to obscure legitimate communications and interfere with my ability to monitor account activity. In response, I immediately took protective action and froze my accounts with all three major credit bureaus. Supporting XXXX : XXXX XXXX Credit Bureau Freeze Confirmations XX/XX/XXXX IT Security Review/ Password and Account Protection On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted my IT department and explained that I was being targeted by a spam bombing attack. My IT department advised me on immediate steps to secure my accounts and helped me implement spam filters until the attack stopped. He also permanently deleted the spam emails from XX/XX/XXXX while he was working on my account hence no XX/XX/XXXX email evidence. To be clear, we did a THOROUGH review of the emails to find any suspicious emails or transaction alerts before doing so. He can be contacted at : XXXX : XXXX to corroborate. Per his suggestion, I also checked XXXX Password Checkup and XXXX Password Security to determine whether any of my passwords had been involved in a security breach. Some passwords were flagged as compromised, but based on the available information, my Bank of America credentials were not identified as compromised. I changed the compromised passwords and continued monitoring my accounts closely. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX IT Security Measures email request XXXX XXXX Sworn Declaration of whereabouts ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XX/XX/XXXX Unauthorized Balance Transfer Posts WITH NO FRAUD ALERT On XX/XX/XXXX, an unauthorized balance transfer in the amount of {$17000.00} was processed on my Bank of America credit card account ending in XXXX. A related transaction fee of {$690.00} was also charged. The transfer was made to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank, account ending in XXXX. I did not authorize this transaction. I have no affiliation with this XXXX XXXX account, and no such card or corresponding account appears on my credit reports. Most concerning, I received no fraud alert, text message, email notification, or verification request for this large and highly unusual transaction. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX Account Statement Showing Unauthorized Balance Transfer and Transaction Fee XX/XX/XXXX Fraud Alerts Received for Attempted Transfers to XXXX XXXX Ending in XXXX XXXX XXXX, I received a text message from Bank of America XXXX XXXX XXXX stating that a balance transfer had been attempted to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, account ending in XXXX. I was taking my children to school at the time. XXXX XXXX, I received another fraud notification regarding attempted activity. I responded NO to confirm that I did not authorize the attempted balance transfer. I immediately called Bank of America to cancel the card and report that I was being targeted. I specifically informed the representative that I had been experiencing spam bombing attacks and that I believed someone was actively attempting to defraud me. During this call, no one informed me that an unauthorized {$17000.00} balance transfer had already been charged the day before, on XX/XX/XXXX, to the same XXXX XXXX account ending in XXXX. The representative did not mention any suspicious transactions or connect the XX/XX/XXXX attempted transfer alerts to the XX/XX/XXXX transaction. This is one of the most troubling facts : Bank of America sent alerts for attempted transfers on XX/XX/XXXX, but did not send any alert for the larger transfer that actually went through on XX/XX/XXXX. Supporting Exhibits : XXXX XXXX Screenshot of XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX Fraud Alert Text Referencing Apple Card Ending in XXXX Exhibit XXXX Screenshot of XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX Fraud Alert and NO Response XX/XX/XXXX Unauthorized Charges Discovered / Card Canceled and Reissued On XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my Bank of America accounts and saw that the balance on my card ending in XXXX was over {$20000.00}. I then discovered two unauthorized charges that had posted on XX/XX/XXXX : {$17000.00} unauthorized balance transfer {$690.00} transaction fee These charges were connected to the unauthorized balance transfer to : Transaction Type : Balance Transfers Offer ID : XXXX Reference number : XXXX Merchant Name : Balance Transfer Apple CA I immediately contacted Bank of America. I explained that I did not authorize the transaction, that I had already reported suspicious activity on XX/XX/XXXX, and that I had been experiencing spam bombing attacks. Bank of America canceled my card and sent a replacement card. I was told that I would need to complete and return a letter that would be sent to me, and that I needed to return it within 10 days. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX Account Snapshot Showing Unauthorized Charges XX/XX/XXXX Credit Reports Reviewed / No Matching Accounts or Balances I logged into my credit reports ( all three bureaus ) to confirm whether any new accounts had been opened in my name. The reports showed : No new accounts opened in my name No new inquiries No XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX account ending in XXXX No XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX account ending in XXXX No outside credit card balances large enough to justify a balance transfer of this size I have been carrying low balances outside of Bank of America for a long time. Nothing in my credit reports supports or explains a transfer of this amount. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX Credit Reports Showing No Matching Apple Card Accounts, No New Accounts, No Inquiries, and No Balances Supporting the Transfer XX/XX/XXXX FTC Identity Theft Report Filed On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission. This report was filed because the unauthorized balance transfer, spam bombing attack, and repeated attempted transfers strongly indicated that I was the victim of coordinated identity theft and fraud. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX FTC Identity Theft Report XX/XX/XXXX Police Report Filed With XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Department On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a police report with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Department, XXXX XXXX XXXX. An officer came to my home, and I showed him the information and documentation I had gathered, including the suspicious activity, the spam attack, and the fraudulent balance transfer. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX Police Report XX/XX/XXXX Bank of America Claim Closed Before Evidence Was Submitted By XX/XX/XXXX, I had not received the letter in the mail that Bank of America told me would be sent after my XX/XX/XXXX call. I also had not received a temporary credit for the fraudulent transaction that was promised on XX/XX/XXXX. I called Bank of America again. The representative placed me on hold for a long time and stated that I should have received my credit by then. During this call, I was told that my claim had been closed, even though I had not submitted my evidence yet and had not received the letter I had been told to expect. The representative reopened or reissued the claim and stated that I should receive the letter shortly. She also told me that I would have to return the letter within 10 days of receiving it, not 10 days from the claim date. This was confusing because I had previously been told I had 10 days, but I had not yet received anything that would allow me to submit my documentation properly. This was the first point at which it became clear that my claim was being handled inconsistently and possibly closed without a proper review. XX/XX/XXXX New Fraud Attempt on Reissued, Unactivated Card On XX/XX/XXXX, I received another alert regarding an attempted balance transfer. This time, the attempted transfer was for {$17000.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, account ending in XXXX. This was especially alarming because the request was made on my newly reissued Bank of America card, which had been issued due to the prior fraud. I had not opened the envelope containing the new card, had not accessed the new card, and had not activated it. This is a critical fact. A balance transfer request was attempted on a reissued card that I had not opened or activated. This further confirms that the fraudulent activity was not initiated by me and could not have resulted from my normal use of the card. For this attempted transfer, I received both a text alert and an email alert from Bank of America. This contrasts sharply with the XX/XX/XXXX unauthorized transfer, for which I received no alert despite the much larger and successful transaction. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Fraud Alert for Attempted Transfer to XXXX XXXX Ending in XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Immediate Call to BofA / Agent Accuses Me of Liability and Locks Me Out Immediately after receiving the XX/XX/XXXX attempted balance transfer alert, I called Bank of America. I explained the full situation again, including : The ongoing spam bombing attack The prior unauthorized balance transfer The XX/XX/XXXX attempted fraud alerts The fact that I had already filed a claim The fact that this new attempted transfer was made on a reissued card that had not been opened or activated During this call, the agent told me that my claim had been closed and that I had been found liable for the transfer. I was horrified. When I asked for details, the agent was rude and told me she could not talk to me. She then locked me out of my accounts and told me I would have no access until I went into a financial center and showed two forms of identification. This was deeply distressing because I was calling to report another active fraud attempt, and instead of receiving help, I was locked out of my accounts and accused of being liable for a transaction I did not authorize. XX/XX/XXXX In-Person Visit to Bank of America XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX Immediately after being locked out, I went in person to the Bank of America XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX I worked with XXXX XXXX. At the branch : I explained the full fraud situation again I provided two forms of identification I entered my PIN when my debit card was swiped I explained that I had been spam attacked I explained that I had already reported the fraud I explained that the new attempted transfer was made on a reissued card that had not been opened or activated XXXX XXXX eventually called the Bank of America fraud department. We spoke with a male fraud department representative who told me that my claim had been closed and that I had been found liable. I argued that this made no sense because : I had not uploaded all of my evidence I had not received the letter in the mail I had not been given an alternate way to submit documentation I had reported the fraud immediately I had received alerts for related attempted transfers I had no relationship with the XXXX XXXX accounts involved The latest attempt occurred on a reissued, unactivated card After a very confusing conversation and a very long period of time, the fraud representative stated that he had reopened my claim and unlocked my card so I could access the claim online. I checked my phone while still at the branch and confirmed that the claim was accessible again. However, there was no link to upload additional documents. When I pointed this out, the representative placed me on hold again for a long time. He eventually came back and told me that it could take up to 24 hours for the upload link to appear and that I should be able to upload my documentation the next day. XX/XX/XXXX Email to XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX, I also emailed XXXX to report the fraudulent transfer request and to document that fraud attempts were continuing. I also changed my Bank of America password online. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX Email to XXXX Regarding Fraudulent Transfer Request XX/XX/XXXX Ongoing Spam Bombing Attack Also on XX/XX/XXXX, I continued to experience an active spam bombing attack. Between approximately XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX, I received : Over 1,600 spam emails to my spam folder Over 30 spam emails that made it into my inbox This was happening at the same time I received the Bank of America notification regarding the attempted balance transfer. The spam bombing was ongoing and directly overlapped with the fraud attempt. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX Spam Attack Screenshots and Logs Showing XXXX Spam Emails and XXXX Inbox Emails XX/XX/XXXX Claim Closed Again Overnight Despite Being Reopened the Prior Day On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, I saw that I had received an email from Bank of America XXXX XXXX XXXX the night before stating that my claim had been closed again. This was shocking because on XX/XX/XXXX I had spent hours : Calling Bank of America Going in person to the financial center Providing two forms of ID Entering my PIN Speaking with the branch representative Speaking with the fraud department Having the claim reopened Being told I would be able to upload evidence the next day The XX/XX/XXXX email made it appear as if everything that happened on XX/XX/XXXX had never occurred. At this point, I felt as though Bank of America was actively preventing me from defending myself against fraud. I had repeatedly attempted to provide evidence, but my claim was closed before I could upload it, reopened only after significant effort, and then closed again overnight before the upload function was made available. This sequence made me feel gaslit, mistreated, and obstructed in my attempt to resolve a clearly fraudulent transaction. XX/XX/XXXX Claim Closed Again / Escalation to Supervisor / Continued Obstruction On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, after discovering that my claim had been closed again at XXXX XXXX the prior evening ( see XXXX XXXX ), and at XXXX XXXX ( see XXXX XXXX ) I received an email that stated that a final review was done and my claim was declined! I immediately called Bank of America again to seek clarification and escalation. Request for Supervisor and Escalation During this call, I specifically requested to speak with a fraud claims supervisor. I was transferred to an individual identified as XXXX from XXXX. I then retold the entire sequence of events once again, including : The spam bombing attack beginning XX/XX/XXXX The unauthorized XX/XX/XXXX balance transfer The XX/XX/XXXX fraud alerts that I declined The fact that I never received a notification for the actual fraudulent transaction The XX/XX/XXXX attempted transfer on a reissued, unactivated card The branch visit where I spent hours verifying my identity and reopening the claim The repeated assurances from multiple Bank of America representatives that : o I would receive a letter o I would receive an upload link to submit evidence o My claim had been reopened o My accounts were secured At this point in the call, I was extremely distressed and crying uncontrollably, as I had now spent weeks attempting to resolve what is clearly a fraudulent transaction and had instead been : Given conflicting and inconsistent information Passed repeatedly between departments Prevented from submitting evidence Locked out of my accounts Told I was liable for a transaction I did not authorize Concerns Expressed During Call I clearly expressed to XXXX that : There has been a complete failure of customer service and fraud protection I do not understand how a fraudulent transaction of this magnitude was approved without alerting me I do not understand how multiple employees are providing contradictory information about the claims process I feel that I am being passed from department to department to avoid resolution I do not understand how a newly issued, unactivated replacement card could immediately be compromised again I do not feel that my finances are safe at Bank of America I further explained that : I have no involvement whatsoever with the fraudulent transaction I have provided and attempted to provide documentation demonstrating this I am being prevented from properly defending myself Response from Fraud Supervisor ( XXXX ) XXXX was professional and empathetic ; however, he confirmed that : My claim had been closed He was unable to confirm whether the claim had actually been reopened the prior day during my in-branch visit This was particularly concerning because I had : Spent hours in person at a branch Verified my identity with two forms of ID and PIN entry Been explicitly told by a fraud representative that everything was being taken care of and the claim was reopened Further Instructions Given XXXX provided me with a phone number for the fraud claim reviewing department and instructed me to call them on Monday, as they were not open at the time of the call. He further instructed me that I would need to : Repeat the entire situation again Request that they provide me with a way to submit documentation demonstrating that I am not involved in this fraudulent transaction, as they have been actively trying to accuse me and hold me liable for a crime I did not commit. Resulting Impact and Ongoing Harm At this point, the process had become circular and non-functional. I expressed clearly that : I feel like I am on a hamster wheel, being asked to repeat the same facts over and over without resolution I no longer have confidence that anything I am told by the bank is accurate or reliable I feel that I am being defrauded twice : o First by the individual ( s ) who stole my money o Second by the institution that allowed the transaction and is failing to correct it I also raised fundamental questions that remain unanswered : Why has a basic investigation not determined this was fraud? Can the bank not : o Trace where the funds were transferred? o Confirm that the receiving account does not belong to me? o Identify the origin location of the transfer and compare it to my actual location on XX/XX/XXXX? o Recall or freeze the transferred funds? Notice of Further Action I informed XXXX that : I am prepared to file a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission I am prepared to engage legal counsel My husband, XXXX XXXX, and I are prepared to withdraw substantial funds ( approaching $ XXXX combined ) from Bank of America and move our banking and mortgage relationship elsewhere Personal and Professional Impact I also explained the real-world consequences of this failure : I have a scheduled mental wellness retreat in XXXX beginning Sunday through Wednesday ( XX/XX/XXXX ), which is now overshadowed by this unresolved issue Instead of resolution after nearly three weeks, I am now forced to carry this stress into that time To reiterate : I am raising two small children I work in a high-demand executive role as Senior Vice President at Entertainment Media Ventures I have just launched a new company, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX, where I serve as XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX I do not have ANY TIME as it is, and Bank of America has wasted dozens of hours of my time, taking away from critical work projects and time with my family Despite this, I have been : Treated dismissively Denied clear answers Prevented from submitting evidence And at times made to feel as though I am being treated as responsible for criminal activity rather than the victim of it Conclusion of XX/XX/XXXX Events At the conclusion of this call, there was still : No resolution No confirmed active claim under proper review No ability to submit evidence No assurance that my accounts are secure This situation is completely unacceptable, and I am demanding immediate resolution. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank of America Sent at XXXX XXXX Stating Claim Was Closed Again XX/XX/XXXX Escalation Attempt and Breakdown in Support Process On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Bank of America at XXXX, following prior instructions from a representative identified as XXXX. Upon reaching an agent, I immediately requested to speak with a supervisor due to the ongoing urgency and complexity of my fraud claim. Instead of being connected to a supervisor, I was transferred multiple times across departments. At each transfer, I was required to restate the full details of my situation. Eventually, I was connected with an individual who I believed to be a supervisor ; however, they appeared unfamiliar with my case and required a full re-explanation. That individual informed me that they had no information on how I could submit supporting evidence for my fraud claim, which directly contradicts prior guidance I had received. I was then transferred again. After once more explaining the situation, I discovered that I had been routed back to general customer service, rather than a fraud or supervisory team. At this point, after more than an hour on the phone and repeated failed transfers, I became extremely distressed. I formally requested that all calls from this date be reviewed and that the conduct of the customer service representatives involved be placed under formal internal review, as the handling of my case was disorganized, inefficient, and wholly inadequate given the seriousness of a fraud claim. The repeated misrouting and lack of procedural knowledge prevented me from submitting critical evidence and materially delayed resolution of my claim. XX/XX/XXXX Failed Fax Attempts and Paid Third-Party Transmission On XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to submit my fraud dispute documentation via fax to XXXX, as instructed. Multiple attempts to transmit the documents were unsuccessful and rejected. Due to the urgency of ensuring my evidence was received, I paid {$50.00} to send the documents via XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). I received a confirmation indicating that the fax transmission was successful ( see XXXX XXXX ). To further ensure delivery, I sent the documents again via an additional fax service ( XXXX ), and received a second confirmation of successful transmission ( see XXXX XXXX ). Despite following all provided instructions and incurring out-of-pocket expenses to do so, I have not received confirmation from Bank of America that my documentation has been properly received or logged into my case file. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX Successful Fax Confirmation XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Successful Fax Confirmation XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Conflicting Information, Hostile Interaction, and IP Address Dispute On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Bank of America again and spoke with a representative identified as XXXX ( XXXX ), who was empathetic and attempted to assist. I was then transferred to an individual named XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, whose conduct was notably unprofessional and dismissive. I am formally requesting that this call be pulled and reviewed, as his behavior materially added to the distress and mishandling of my case. Following this interaction, I was transferred to XXXX, a supervisor, who stated that she would : File internal customer complaints regarding prior interactions Add notes documenting my repeated attempts to submit evidence Keep the fraud claim open until documentation is confirmed received During this call, XXXX stated that the IP address associated with the fraudulent transaction was consistent with my historical usage. I explicitly dispute this assertion. At the time of the unauthorized transaction, I was physically present at my office in XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, a highly secured facility with verifiable access logs and surveillance records. I am prepared to provide supporting evidence confirming my location. Additionally, it is widely recognized that IP addresses can be spoofed or masked, particularly in cases involving coordinated fraud or spam attacks. The presence of a familiar IP address alone does not constitute proof of authorization ( see XXXX XXXX ). XXXX advised that I should also submit my documentation via certified mail, and confirmed that notes would be added to ensure my claim remains open pending receipt and review of my materials. Supporting Exhibit : XXXX XXXX FBI.GOV article explaining the prevalence of IP address spoofing and its use in fraudulent activity. This article explains that IP addresses can be manipulated, masked, or spoofed by bad actors to make a transaction appear as though it originated from a legitimate user or familiar location. Techniques such as VPN masking, proxy routing, and spoofing tools are commonly used in coordinated fraud and spam attacks. The existence of a matching or familiar IP address does not constitute reliable proof of user authorization, particularly in cases involving : Spam or phishing attacks Unauthorized account access Coordinated fraud attempts This exhibit directly challenges Bank of Americas assertion that an IP address consistent with prior usage is sufficient evidence to attribute the transaction to me. It supports the position that additional authentication evidence is required to establish authorization. XX/XX/XXXX Reversal of Temporary Credit and Ongoing Financial Harm On XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my Bank of America account and observed that the previously issued temporary credit had been removed without prior notice or explanation. As a result, my account balance reverted to approximately {$20000.00}, and I am now incurring interest charges on a balance that I continue to dispute as fraudulent. This action has caused immediate and ongoing financial harm, including : Accrual of interest on a disputed and unauthorized transaction Significant negative impact on my account standing Additional emotional distress given the unresolved status of my fraud claim At no point prior to the removal of the temporary credit was I provided : A formal determination letter Supporting evidence for denial of my claim Confirmation that my submitted documentation had been received and reviewed Given that my fraud claim remains disputed and under active submission of supporting evidence, the removal of the temporary credit appears premature and procedurally improper. I am requesting : Immediate reinstatement of the temporary credit pending full investigation Reversal of all interest and fees associated with the disputed transaction A written explanation detailing the basis for removal of the credit Final Notice of Escalation If this matter is not resolved promptly and appropriately, I will have no choice but to escalate this dispute further. This includes filing formal complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and all other relevant regulatory and oversight authorities, as well as pursuing direct legal action against Bank of America. I am fully prepared to provide the extensive documentation, timeline, and supporting exhibits outlined herein, which clearly demonstrate both the fraudulent nature of this transaction and the banks failure to conduct a reasonable and consistent investigation. I will also seek recovery of all damages incurred, including financial losses, interest charges, and any additional remedies available under applicable law. I strongly urge Bank of America to take immediate corrective action to resolve this matter before further escalation becomes necessary. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of XXXX and the United States of America that the foregoing statements, timeline, and supporting exhibits are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief. I further declare that all documents submitted in support of this claim are authentic and have not been altered, and that this statement is made in good faith in connection with a fraud dispute.

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 monetary relief