Consumer complaint received 2025-02-14 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Overdrafts and overdraft fees
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
This complaint is against Ally Bank and XXXX XXXX. Both companies have rejected my disputes and to help me resolve the fraud that took place in my accounts on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I have a checking account and a savings account with Ally Bank. My cash app was set up to my checking account which had very little money in it. Someone illegally accessed my cash app without my permission and transferred money in separate increments and stole a total of {$3500.00}. This resulted in all of the money in my savings to be taken and all of the money in my checking to be taken as well as my checking account being over drafted ( screen shot included ) Ally bank transferred XXXX separate transfers from my savings and into my checking in increments of {$900.00}, {$1000.00}, {$1000.00} and {$400.00}. ( ( screen shot included ) I understand I had overdraft protection but there should be a level of security that is taken in a situation where fraud is suspected. I have since taken overdraft protection off my account. I had it because I live paycheck to paycheck and only get paid XXXX time a month. Towards the end of the month my funds get very low and since I typically have a little money in my savings it seemed useful and helpful to avoid extra fees if an accidently overdraft did occur. I now know the dangers of using overdraft protection and will never use it again. 

I have attached the screen shot ( screen shot included ) from my cash app activity where you can see the person attempted to take more but due to the funds not being available it was failed. Each successful attempt they made Ally bank transferred the funds from my savings and into my checking allowing them to completely clean out my account until my savings was {$0.00} and my checking was over drafted. Not only did they steal my money, but I had to may additional money back to Ally bank for the money they allowed to overdraft. I received a text from " ALLY Fraud Alert on Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX which stated Suspicious txn on card for {$1000.00} at cash app and reply yes or no to authorize ''. I was sleeping and did not reply immediately but replied No per the instructions in the text once I saw it. If Ally bank suspected there was suspicious activity on my account, then Ally should not have transferred XXXX separate overdraft transfers back-to-back from my savings account into my checking account. Ally bank recognized there was a potential fraud situation and despite being aware there was suspicious activity, Ally Bank still transferred the money without my authorization despite sending a text requesting authorization. I would have hoped as a level of security that my account would have been instantly locked/froze immediately until someone spoke with me. I did not realize the fraud happened until the next morning on XX/XX/XXXX when ALLY fraud called me at XXXX and I missed the call. I immediately called back at XXXX and disputed all charges but Ally Fraud said that due to them in pending Status I had to wait to officially dispute them until they posted but it was too late, and the money was gone. I have included screen shots that shows the following from my cash app activity : {$1000.00} - Complete {$1000.00} - Complete {$1000.00} - Complete {$2000.00} attempted - Failed due to insufficient funds {$1500.00} -attempted -Failed due to insufficient funds {$1000.00} - attempted Failed due to insufficient funds {$500.00} - Completed and over drafted my account I did file a police report. Though public record and social media searches I was able to get the XXXX people 's information who worked together on this. The police report case number is XXXX with the Prince William County Policy Department. Unfortunately, because the Officer could not make contact, after several attempts, with the person who actually took the money from my account, he had to put the file in inactive status and he said the next step would be for a detective to pick up the case. The officer mentioned that the county has XXXX open cases, they are very short staffed, and it could take months, a year or it may never be picked up by a detective. I even tried contacting my friend who works for the Prince William County police department to see if they could assist with getting a detective assigned and that didnt help at all either. 

I attempted to request the money back from the receiver who goes by " XXXX '' ( screen shot included ) on Cash APP and it was declined, and I am no longer able to request money from them. I searched the persons name on social media and was able to locate a profile with the same profile picture and username that was on the cash app profile the money was sent to. I sent the person a private message ( screen inlcuded ) but they did not respond. Through Public record search I was able to locate " XXXX 's '' phone number and relentlessly messaged him until he responded. I mentioned that this was felony charges which scared him into responding. Through public record searches and social media searches I was able to determine both parties ' real government names which I provided to cash app, Ally bank and the police. For clarification the person who illegally accessed my account and stole the money goes by " XXXX ''. the person he sent the money to goes by " uno ''. XXXX informed me the XXXX used to be really good friends. 

XXXX said XXXX, sent the entire lump sum to him for {$3500.00}. Then XXXX then asked XXXX to send the entire {$3500.00} to XXXX 's cash app for " car '' ( Screen shot included ). I assumed to not have a XXXX XXXX to him although this is all documented through cash app. 
XXXX sent me the screen shot of where he sent the full {$3500.00} to XXXX ( screen shot included ). According to XXXX, he was woken up in the middle of the night on XXXX XXXX knocking at his door. XXXX told XXXX to send the full {$3500.00} to XXXX 's cash app. XXXX sent me a screen shot of it because he said he didnt want to be involved. 

The XXXX told me he attempted to make contact with XXXX XXXX XXXX I have done all the research, spent countless hours on the phone with different departments from both Ally Bank and Cash App and the police. I have spent hours writing up dispute emails which include specific information, time stamps, screen shots. Thankfully due to public information on social media I have been able to get enough information that I basically have done the work for Ally, XXXX XXXX and the policy. All I was asking for is for my dispute to taken care of. 
I have gone through the dispute processes with cash app several times as well however they declined every attempt I made. I have sent them the screen shots i have FROM cash App. Although the transaction history on both XXXX and XXXX 's cash app will match the evidence and information I have provided. 
I have filed a police report and met with the XXXX on XXXX separate occasions to provide all the information I have. Nothing came of it although the office called XXXX in front of me and XXXX admitted to the office on the phone that XXXX sent him the {$3500.00} and he withdrew the total in cash. He ADMITTED that to the XXXX. 
I have disputed this with XXXX team multiple times as well. 
In the end I still feel that had the Ally team taken the steps to freeze my account once there was a suspicion of Fraudulent activity on my account then it would have prevented a big portion of the money being taken. 

Considering Ally recognized the charges as potential fraud and sent me a text message acknowledging the potential fraud and asking for approval and still allowed the charges to go through without my response of Yes ( ( screen shot included ). Not one of the charges they attempted to make for {$1000.00} was blocked. If there is a text sent from the fraud department, then before the charge is approved then the account should be locked immediately until the account holder is contacted. Especially for a charge that large. When I first talked to Ally Fraud department regarding the charges the charges were pending and they said I could not do anything to dispute them until they went through which took another day to post. The money was long gone by then. In Allys Online Mobile Security Guarantee under the Security help section it states Ally guarantees I will not be liable for any unauthorized online or mobile banking transactions if its reported within 60 days. ( ( screen shot included ). I spoke to Ally Fraud department first thing in the morning after the fraud occurred roughly 10 hours later. I also responded to the text not authorizing the charge and formally put my initial dispute in for all XXXX transactions on XX/XX/XXXX which was within XXXX hours of the fraud occurring. 

Cash app and Ally bank both disregarded a robbery and turned their heads despite the amount of times I called, emailed, filed disputes and provided evidence. 

I will never use cash app again and I do not feel my money will ever be safe using Ally bank. 

I would never recommend using either of these XXXX companies. As far as the police department. I guess robbing a single mother of {$3500.00}, providing the robbers information, and the XXXX admitting to the XXXX that he committed the crime, is just not enough of a crime to solve. 

Please contact me if you need anything further or if you have any additional steps, I should take that may help me. I am at a total loss of how NOBODY is able to help 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