Consumer complaint received 2025-10-14 00:00:00
Product: Prepaid card — Government benefit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer — Charged for a purchase or transfer you did not make with the card
Company: Comerica
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
This is the narrative of the incident regarding the theft of my Direct Express debit card, which I emailed them about on XX/XX/XXXX. Per XXXX, the card was delivered to XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MD XXXX with no signature required on or about XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX. I was previously a client there for homeless services and assistance and clients are permitted to use their office address as a mailing address. I believe someone who works there intercepted the mail item before it could be handed to me. I say this because my Social Security number and date of birth were required to activate the debit card. I have no friends or relatives with access to that info or who work at the XXXX office on XXXX XXXX. But the XXXX office has my client file with all those details. I had not had any problems with receiving my mail at XXXX before this incident. I believe someone who works there took the card from the incoming mail, activated it and used it to steal my funds. No money was available on the card until my Social Security direct deposit went through on XX/XX/XXXX for {$1400.00}. 

I called Direct Express and spoke to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX @ appx. XXXX to report that I still had not received my card. I ordered the card at the local Social Security office on or about XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX informed me that the card had been mailed from the Direct Express office in Wyoming on XX/XX/XXXX and it was activated on XX/XX/XXXX. My Social Security direct deposit went through to Direct Express on XX/XX/XXXX for {$1400.00}. I called Direct Express again and spoke to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX @ appx. XXXX to report that I still had not received my card. I ordered the card at the local Social Security office on or about XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX informed me that the card was mailed from the Direct Express office in Wyoming on XX/XX/XXXX and it was activated on XX/XX/XXXX. My Social Security direct deposit went through to Direct Express on XX/XX/XXXX for {$1400.00}. Per XXXX ; -- on XX/XX/XXXX {$1000.00} was withdrawn using my card at a XXXX ATM on XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
-- on XX/XX/XXXX {$350.00} was withdrawn at a XXXXXXXX XXXX ATM on XXXX XXXX. 
-- later that same day ( XX/XX/XXXX ) another {$60.00} was withdrawn from the same XXXX ATM. 

I field a dispute with Direct Express and requested a refund of the stolen funds. On XX/XX/XXXX they sent me a letter stating that they had determined that the transactions in question were " not unauthorized ''. They listed 4 " findings '' but never specified which finding they claimed had applied in my case. Their " findings '' were ; -- " Access to the account appears be be from authorized users & /or the named cardholder. '' -- " The merchant was pre-authorized to debit the card. '' -- " The transactions were authorized using information and authentication only known to the cardholder. '' -- " A review of prior transactions with this merchant confirmed the transaction was authorized '' None of those 4 statements is truthful or correct. I was the only person authorized to receive the card, but it was never given to me by the XXXX office. I never gave " pre-authorization '' to any merchant to make any debits from that card account. My Social Security number and DOB were required to authenticate the card via telephone, but that info was available to anyone working at the XXXX office where the card was delivered to. I made the XXXX management aware of what had happened, but they simply denied any involvement in the theft of the card. I filed a police report but I have no idea if the XXXX police followed up with them to investigate. And I never laid hands on the debit card, so Direct Express can not claim that there were " prior transactions to this this merchant '' ( the ATM machines ) on the account. 

I have enclosed copies of all my documentation related to this matter. I am a XXXX XXXX and Social Security is my only income, so I am asking the CFPB to PLEASE HELP ME get my {$1400.00} refunded.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation