Consumer complaint received 2026-04-07 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a complaint regarding Bank of America 's violations of XXXX consumer protection law in handling a billing dispute on my credit card account, their unauthorized transmission of my card credentials to merchants, and ongoing fraudulent activity on my account. Issue XXXX : Billing Dispute Mishandled in Violation of Regulation XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX, I disputed an unauthorized charge of {$350.00} from merchant " XXXX ( XXXX ) '' on my credit card account ending in XXXX ( Claim XXXX XXXXXXXX ). This charge was part of a broader fraud event in which multiple unauthorized transactions were attempted on my account. Bank of America identified and declined XXXX additional fraudulent charges during this same period : XXXX XXXX ( {$470.00} ), a chicken wing restaurant, and a candy store in New York. Bank of America texted me to confirm the XXXX XXXX charge was declined, and verbally confirmed the other XXXX declined charges during our phone call. I independently contacted the merchant XXXX in XXXX and was informed that the order associated with my card was picked up by an individual named XXXX -- not me. I reported this to Bank of America during my initial fraud call, providing them with direct merchant confirmation that a XXXX XXXX had fraudulently used my card. The {$350.00} charge was reversed after Bank of America 's investigation, and on XX/XX/XXXX, I received written confirmation from Bank of America stating that the charge had been deemed fraudulent and resolved in my favor. Despite this written determination of fraud, on XX/XX/XXXX, the same {$350.00} charge was reapplied to my replacement account ending in XXXX -- without any prior notice, written explanation, or supporting documentation. When I contacted the fraud department on XX/XX/XXXX, I was told this was a " clerical error '' and that a request would be sent to the claims department to reverse and correct it. I was advised to check back in XXXX days. On XX/XX/XXXX, the charge was still present on my account, now dated XX/XX/XXXX. When I called the fraud department again, I was told the original determination had been " overturned '' -- yet I was never provided with any letter, email, or notification of such a reversal. The only written correspondence I ever received confirmed the transaction was fraudulent and resolved in my favor. Additionally, while on the phone with the representative on XX/XX/XXXX, I observed the transaction history date for the disputed charge change in real-time on my online account. I have screenshots taken before and during this call documenting this discrepancy. The representative was dismissive and condescending, claiming there were " no comments '' from my XX/XX/XXXX call despite my records showing otherwise. This lack of documentation of my account inquiries and attempts to resolve the matter raises additional concerns about record-keeping and transparency. Bank of America has violated the following provisions of Regulation XXXX : XXXX C.F.R. XXXX ( f ) ( XXXX ) : Failed to provide a written explanation of its determination when reversing a previously resolved billing dispute. The bank 's own written correspondence confirmed the charge was fraudulent -- any subsequent reversal required new written notice, which was never provided. XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( f ) ( XXXX ) : Refused to provide documentary evidence supporting the reversal upon my repeated requests on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( d ) : Applied a reversed charge to a replacement card ( account ending XXXX ) issued after the original card ( account ending XXXX ) was closed due to fraud, effectively collecting on a disputed amount during an unresolved dispute. Issue XXXX : Unauthorized Subscription Renewals via Account Updater When my credit card ending in XXXX was replaced due to confirmed fraud, I intentionally did not provide my new card number ( ending XXXX ) to any merchants. I intended for recurring subscriptions tied to the old card to lapse naturally. In XX/XX/XXXX, I began receiving renewal reminder emails from XXXX. I deliberately ignored them, as I did not wish to renew. In XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX sent me an email stating : " Unfortunately, the payment method linked to your XXXX subscription appears to be invalid. This could be caused by an expired credit card or change in billing address. '' The merchant itself confirmed my old payment method was no longer valid. I did not update my payment method. I did not contact XXXX. I did not authorize any renewal. I took no action whatsoever -- deliberately, because I wanted the subscription to end. On approximately XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notification from XXXX thanking me for renewing. A charge of {$150.00} appeared on my Bank of America account. Bank of America 's Account XXXX service had automatically transmitted my new card credentials to XXXX without my knowledge or consent -- overriding my deliberate decision to let the subscription lapse, and overriding the merchant 's own determination that my payment method was invalid. When I contacted Bank of America, I was informed that I could not opt out of Account Updater services. This practice constitutes an unfair act under XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( Dodd-Frank Act, UDAAP ) because : It causes substantial consumer injury -- I was charged {$150.00} for a subscription I deliberately chose not to renew. The injury is not reasonably avoidable -- I took every reasonable step to prevent renewal : I withheld my new card number, I ignored renewal reminders, and I did not respond to the " invalid payment method '' notice. The bank circumvented all of these actions without my consent. The practice provides no countervailing benefit to the consumer -- it benefits merchants and the bank through continued interchange revenue, not me. Bank of America 's statement that opt-out is not possible may also constitute a deceptive practice, as opt-out is technically feasible under XXXX and XXXX network rules and is offered by other card issuers. Issue XXXX : Ongoing Fraudulent Activity and Improper Handling On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX AM, I received a text message from Bank of America regarding my account ending in XXXX. I didn't recognize the charge, so I immediately logged into my account. I observed XXXX pending unauthorized charges of {$1.00} each from an unknown merchant identified as " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' This pattern is consistent with card-testing fraud, in which stolen card credentials are validated with small charges before larger fraudulent transactions are attempted. By XX/XX/XXXX, both pending charges had been silently removed from my account without any notification, investigation report, fraud alert follow-up, or confirmation from Bank of America XXXX The charges were simply deleted with no communication to me about what they were, how they occurred, who " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' is, or what steps were taken to secure my account. This silent removal -- rather than a proper fraud investigation under 15 U.S.C. 1643 -- suggests Bank of America is aware of unauthorized access to my account but has failed to take transparent, documented steps to investigate and protect me. I am concerned that Bank of America 's Account XXXX service may have transmitted my new card credentials to a compromised merchant, directly enabling continued fraudulent activity on the replacement card that was issued to resolve prior fraud. This is now the second instance of fraud on a card that was issued specifically to resolve prior fraud -- the very system meant to protect me may be the vector enabling ongoing unauthorized access. Summary of Violations Bank of America has : Confirmed a charge was fraudulent in writing, then reapplied it to a new account without notice or documentation -- violating XXXX C.F.R. XXXX ( f ) ( XXXX ) and ( f ) ( XXXX ) Refused to provide documentary evidence of its reversal decision upon repeated request -- violating XXXX C.F.R. XXXX ( f ) ( XXXX ) Applied a disputed charge to a replacement account during an unresolved dispute -- violating XXXX C.F.R. XXXX ( d ) Potentially altered transaction records in real-time during a customer service call, raising concerns about data integrity Failed to document customer interactions and prior call notes, undermining dispute resolution Automatically transmitted card credentials to merchants against the consumer 's express intent -- unfair practice under XXXX XXXX. XXXX Misrepresented the availability of Account XXXX opt-out -- deceptive practice under XXXX XXXX. XXXX Failed to properly investigate and communicate regarding unauthorized " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' charges, instead silently removing them without notification Resolution Requested I am requesting : Immediate permanent credit of the disputed {$350.00} charge from XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX plus any associated finance charges and fees incurred as a result of the improper reversal The complete chargeback case file as required by XXXX C.F.R. XXXX ( f ) ( XXXX ), including merchant evidence, internal decision notes, dispute timeline, and the basis for overturning a previously confirmed fraud determination A written explanation of why the XX/XX/XXXX, fraud determination was reversed, as required by XXXX C.F.R. XXXX ( f ) ( XXXX ) Copies of all call notes and account inquiry records from XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX and any and all calls made in regards to this matter. Opt-out from Account Updater service, or written confirmation that my card credentials will not be shared with merchants without my explicit written authorization Reversal of the unauthorized Grammarly renewal charge of {$150.00} processed via Account XXXX XXXX plus any other subscriptions renewed through the same mechanism A formal fraud investigation report regarding the unauthorized " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' charges, including how the charges were resolved and what steps have been taken to secure my account Written confirmation that Bank of America 's internal complaint records reflect these regulatory violations Assurance that appropriate fraud protections are in place to prevent further unauthorized activity Additional Context This situation spans over a year. In XX/XX/XXXX, Bank of America identified and declined XXXX other fraudulent charges from the same fraud event, I provided them with merchant confirmation that a stranger named XXXX picked up the fraudulently ordered goods, and the bank 's own investigation confirmed the {$350.00} charge was fraudulent. I received written confirmation of this determination in XX/XX/XXXX -- then watched the charge reappear on a replacement account in XX/XX/XXXX with no explanation. I have made multiple attempts to resolve this through Bank of America 's own processes and have been met with dismissive treatment, missing call records, and no documentation. The bank 's refusal to provide legally required documentation, combined with its automatic transmission of my card credentials to merchants against my wishes and the silent removal of suspicious charges without investigation, has caused significant financial harm and eroded my ability to trust and control my own financial accounts. I have screenshots documenting the real-time alteration of transaction dates during my XX/XX/XXXX phone call, and I am prepared to provide them upon request. I also note that Bank of America 's written correspondence regarding this matter contains no issue date or postal date, making it difficult to establish a documentary timeline. This lack of basic date-stamping on official bank correspondence further undermines transparency and my ability to reconstruct the dispute timeline from their own records.

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