Consumer complaint received 2026-06-12 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I have been a Bank of America customer for approximately XXXX ( XXXX ) years and receive recurring XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX VA ) XXXX compensation through direct deposit into my Bank of America account. While residing in XXXX during XX/XX/year>, I experienced a series of account access and authentication failures following actions taken by Bank of America personnel. As a result, I lost practical access to my funds for approximately XXXX days and was forced to rely on assistance from family members and friends while overseas. This complaint concerns Bank of America 's authentication systems, customer support processes, international customer support capabilities, employee actions, supervisory oversight, and inability to provide reasonable access to deposited funds despite extensive efforts on my part to resolve the matter. I respectfully request that the CFPB and OCC review the events described below, require Bank of America to preserve relevant records and recordings, and determine whether appropriate remediation or corrective action is warranted. Page 3 of 152. BACKGROUND AND CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS Prior to XX/XX/year>, I maintained a long-standing banking relationship with Bank of America and XXXX VA XXXX XXXX through direct deposit. On or about XX/XX/year>, I contacted Bank of America regarding my debit card. During the course of interactions with Bank of America XXXX, my account status and card status were altered in a manner that significantly restricted my ability to access my funds. I was informed by Bank of America XXXX that a supervisor identified as XXXX changed the status of my card from a damaged-card situation to a lost-or-stolen-card situation. Based on conversations with multiple representatives, this action created a chain of events that could not easily be reversed. Immediately after the initial interaction, I spoke with another representative, identified as XXXX, who explained the actions taken and confirmed details regarding the account-handling decisions that had occurred. This event marked the beginning of a cascading series of authentication failures, fraud alerts, account restrictions, card disruptions, temporary access restrictions, and digital banking disruptions. Page 4 of 153. ACCOUNT ACCESS RESTRICTIONS AND AUTHENTICATION ISSUES As these events escalated, my account access became restricted for several days while Bank of America fraud and authentication systems repeatedly failed to properly verify and restore reliable access. Although the account was eventually restored after several days, the interruption created significant hardship, uncertainty, stress, and disruption while I was residing overseas. At no point was I attempting unauthorized activity. I consistently cooperated with Bank of America representatives and repeatedly attempted to comply with all requested verification procedures. While residing overseas, I encountered repeated failures involving Bank of America 's authentication systems and digital-wallet activation process. The mobile banking system repeatedly required a XXXX XXXX telephone number for authentication and security verification. Without a valid U.S. number capable of receiving authorization codes, my access to banking services became severely restricted. Following unsuccessful e-wallet activation attempts on or about XX/XX/year> : Fraud alerts were triggered. Account access became restricted. Existing digital wallet cards were canceled. Replacement card processing became disrupted. Additional authentication barriers were imposed. I was informed that repeated unsuccessful activation attempts could trigger additional fraud responses and cancel replacement card shipments. This created an impossible cycle in which I could not properly authenticate because I lacked a U.S.-based phone number, yet every failed authentication attempt increased restrictions on my account. I was also informed that Bank of America could not immediately remove outdated phone numbers associated with the account and that changes involving fraud review could take approximately sixty ( 60 ) to ninety ( 90 ) days, even if handled in person. Page 5 of 154. RANDOMIZED AUTHENTICATION QUESTIONS AND XX/XX/XXXX RECORDED CALL The only alternative authentication method available at various points involved randomized identity-verification questions generated by Bank of America systems XXXX These questions reportedly involved former employment history, vehicles, housing information, relatives, and associated individuals. I was informed that representatives themselves did not control the questions generated by the system. The questions appeared to be based on associations the system believed were connected to me, regardless of whether those associations were accurate or relevant. On XX/XX/year>, at approximately XXXX XXXX Philippine time, I completed a successful identity-verification process with a Bank of America employee XXXX My understanding is that this call was recorded. Despite successfully verifying my identity during this interaction, the overall access problems and authentication difficulties continued afterward. This demonstrates that I was actively cooperating with security procedures, my identity could in fact be verified, and the continued access problems were tied to system and operational barriers rather than any refusal to cooperate. Page 6 of 155. CALLS AND ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE During this period, I spent extensive amounts of time communicating with Bank of America. Documented call records show individual calls lasting approximately : XXXX minutes XXXX minutes XXXX minutes Additional calls totaling several more hours A video recording from XX/XX/year> documents one call exceeding XXXX and one-half hours in duration. I also participated in a recorded authentication call on XX/XX/year>. Throughout this period I repeatedly attempted to resolve the situation through customer service representatives, supervisors, fraud personnel, ATM services personnel, and XXXX escalation channels. The repeated transfers, inconsistent information, authentication loops, and inability to establish reliable access created substantial stress and unnecessary hardship. Page 7 of 156. HARDSHIP CAUSED BY LOSS OF ACCESS Because I was located in XXXX and unable to effectively access my deposited funds, I was forced to rely upon third-party financial assistance. A friend provided financial assistance through XXXX XXXX. Contemporaneous WhatsApp messages document discussions regarding the transfer and my inability to access my Bank of America funds. I also relied upon my cousin 's credit card while awaiting restoration of account access and replacement-card delivery. Family members were contemporaneously informed regarding the circumstances and my ongoing efforts to resolve the matter with Bank of America. At the time of these events, there were no Bank of America branches or ATMs reasonably available to me in XXXX that could resolve the account access issues. The hardship was not limited to inconvenience. The issue interfered with my practical ability to use funds deposited into the affected account while I was overseas and required emergency assistance from others. Page 8 of 157. VA BENEFIT DEPOSITS At the time of these events, my Department XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX compensation benefits were being deposited directly into my Bank of America account. VA records show : XX/XX/year> recurring compensation deposit of {$1700.00}. XX/XX/year> retroactive compensation deposit of {$14000.00}. Both payments were directed to Bank of America account ending in XXXX. This demonstrates that the affected account was actively receiving my VA XXXX benefits during the period surrounding these events. I respectfully request that regulators consider the practical impact of the restrictions on an account receiving XXXX XXXX compensation, without requiring this complaint to assert that any specific statutory violation has already been established. Page 9 of 158. CONCERNS REGARDING BANK OF AMERICA PRACTICES My concerns include : Deficiencies in customer authentication processes. Reliance on inaccurate or unrelated identity-verification questions. Dependence on United States telephone numbers for international customers. Lack of meaningful international customer support. Inability of supervisors and employees to override erroneous system actions. Insufficient escalation procedures. Extended delays associated with telephone verification. Failure to provide reasonable continuity of banking services for international customers. Insufficient employee training and supervisory oversight. Page 10 of 159. LEGAL AND REGULATORY CONCERNS The events described above raise significant concerns regarding account-access procedures, customer authentication systems, overseas banking support, and the practical ability of consumers to access deposited funds while residing abroad. Without asserting that any particular statutory or regulatory violation has already been established, I respectfully request review of whether the circumstances described herein warrant examination under applicable federal consumer-protection laws, banking regulations, and supervisory guidance. These concerns include, but are not limited to : The Electronic Fund Transfer Act ( EFTA ), 15 U.S.C. 1693 et seq., including issues relating to electronic account access, debit-card functionality, authentication procedures, and error-resolution processes. The Consumer Financial Protection Act and related consumer-protection principles concerning potentially unfair, unreasonable, or harmful operational practices affecting consumers. The treatment of accounts receiving XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX compensation and whether account-access restrictions interfered with the practical ability to access deposited benefits. The adequacy of authentication procedures for customers residing overseas who do not maintain a XXXX XXXX mobile telephone number. The adequacy of escalation, fraud-review, and customer-support procedures when account-access issues arise for international customers. I respectfully request that regulators review these issues and determine whether Bank of America 's policies, procedures, and actions were consistent with applicable legal, regulatory, and consumer-protection requirements. Page 11 of 1510. COMPENSATION REQUEST AND REQUESTED RELIEF Prior to XX/XX/year>, I was asked by Bank of America representatives what I believed would constitute fair compensation for the situation. I initially responded by asking Bank of America what it believed was fair considering my long customer relationship, military veteran status, extended account access disruption, repeated operational failures, and the excessive support burden placed on me. I was again asked before XX/XX/year> what I believed was fair compensation. After additional consideration, I submitted a formal compensation request on XX/XX/year> in the amount of {$25000.00}. That request outlined concerns involving systemic authentication failures, restricted access, poor overseas support infrastructure, lack of emergency preparedness, escalation failures, and digital authentication barriers. On or about XX/XX/year>, Bank of America informed me by telephone that my request had been denied. To the best of my recollection, the denial was communicated verbally rather than through written correspondence. I request that Bank of America provide appropriate remediation after reviewing the facts, recordings, account records, authentication logs, and resulting hardship associated with this matter. In determining appropriate remediation, I request consideration of the loss of practical access to deposited funds while overseas, the XXXX nature of deposits into the affected account, the extensive time spent seeking assistance, and my reliance on third-party financial help. Page XXXX of XXXX. XXXX FOR XXXX XXXX I respectfully request that this matter be formally reviewed, including : Review of all call recordings and escalation notes. Review of supervisor decisions made on XX/XX/year>. Review of authentication procedures affecting overseas customers. Review of fraud-response escalation procedures. Review of digital-wallet activation policies tied to U.S.-based phone requirements. Review of compensation denial decisions. Review of whether reasonable accommodations and alternatives existed for overseas customers and veterans residing abroad. I further request a written explanation regarding the XX/XX/year> supervisory handling, account access restrictions, repeated authentication failures, overseas verification limitations, and digital-wallet canc ellation events. Page 13 of 1512. PRESERVATION REQUEST AND RESERVATION OF RIGHTS I request preservation and review of : Customer service recordings. Fraud department recordings. ATM services recordings. Authentication logs. Account notes. Escalation records. Executive response records. Fraud alerts. Supervisor notes. Card issuance records. Digital-wallet activation records. Internal account-handling documentation. Internal investigations relating to the XX/XX/year> events. Nothing in this complaint shall be construed as a waiver of any legal rights, remedies, arbitration rights, claims, or causes of action available under federal or state law. I reserve all rights to pursue arbitration, regulatory complaints, civil claims, compensatory damages, consequential damages, attorney-related costs where applicable, and any additional relief permitted under federal or state law. Page 14 of 1513. CONCLUSION, CERTIFICATION, AND EXHIBIT INDEX This complaint is submitted in good faith and is based upon my direct experiences, documented communications, call records, and written XXXX XXXX Bank of America during XXXX and XX/XX/year>. I believe the failures described above demonstrate serious operational weaknesses involving authentication systems, escalation handling, overseas customer support, foreign transaction support, and emergency access procedures. I request a full review of this matter and preservation of all relevant records. Exhibit Index Exhibit A - Call-duration screenshots. Exhibit B - XX/XX/year> video evidence of extended call duration. Exhibit C - XX/XX/year> recorded authentication call. Exhibit D XXXX XXXX communications with friend regarding financial assistance. Exhibit E XXXX XXXX XXXX transfer evidence. Exhibit F - Family communications contemporaneous to the incident. Exhibit G - Evidence of reliance on cousin 's credit card. Exhibit H- VA direct-deposit evidence showing Bank of America account ending in XXXX. Exhibit I - XXXX escalation communications. Exhibit J - XX/XX/year> compensation request. I certify that the information provided herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and recollection. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

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