Consumer complaint received 2025-09-30 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
On Friday, XX/XX/year>, I received a deposit of {$8700.00} into my Truist Bank account, allegedly for the purchase of a coffee machine I was selling through XXXX XXXX. The actual price of the machine was {$4700.00}, but the buyer claimed that her husband had mistakenly sent {$3900.00} over the agreed amount and requested that I return the difference. 
Before returning any funds, I contacted Truist Banks customer service, where a representative explicitly assured me that the funds were already available in my account and that there was no possibility of the money being withdrawn or reversed. Based on this direct statement from the bank, I acted in good faith and returned the overpayment as follows : {$2500.00} on XX/XX/XXXX ( Reference : XXXX ) {$1400.00} on XX/XX/XXXX ( Reference : XXXX ) Total : {$3900.00} USD transferred via XXXX, solely because the bank assured me that the funds were secure and available in my account. 
What happened next : On XX/XX/XXXX, Truist reversed the full deposit of {$8700.00}, later stating that the check had been fraudulent. I then attempted to contact the buyer again, but I had already been blocked on all platforms. At that point, it became clear that I had been the victim of a scam. 
I submitted the following formal disputes to the bank : {$1400.00} : Case # XXXX {$8700.00} : Case # XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX, Truist responded by denying XXXX claims, stating that I had " authorized the XXXX transfers. '' However, this response completely ignores the most critical fact : Yes, I authorized the XXXX transfers but I only did so because a bank representative verbally assured me that the check had been verified, that the funds were available, and that under no circumstances would they be withdrawn, and i did not authorized the devoltion of {$8700.00} Serious negligence by the bank : Truist Bank is failing to take responsibility for having falsely assured me that the funds were safe. Additionally, the bank never informed me that there was a risk of fraud or that the check could potentially be reversed. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent an email to Truist requesting answers to the following : Why was the check released immediately after deposit, even though it had not been fully verified? 
What verification procedures did the bank follow before releasing the funds? 
Why was I not informed of any potential risk or hold period related to this check? 
To this day, I have received no response. Over the phone, the bank simply reiterated that the case was closed, that they would not reopen it, and they resent the same denial letter from XX/XX/XXXX. They claimed they could not recover the money through XXXX, but they completely ignore the fact that it was their inaccurate and misleading information that led to this loss. 
My request : I fully understand that the check was part of a scam, and I am not even requesting a refund of the full {$8700.00} that was reversed by Truist. What I am demanding is a refund of the {$3900.00} that I lost as a direct result of acting in good faith based on the bank 's assurance that the funds were safe and would not be removed from my account. 
Had the bank properly informed me that the check had not yet cleared or that there was any risk of reversal, I would never have returned that money. 
This case was also reported to the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) under report number XXXX on XX/XX/year>. 
For all the reasons stated above, I respectfully request your intervention to ensure that Truist Bank is held accountable for providing inaccurate information, failing to issue warnings, and acting negligently in handling this fraudulent deposit.

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