Consumer complaint received 2026-05-11 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a complaint regarding Bank of Americas handling of unauthorized online debit card transactions on my account and what I believe was an inadequate fraud investigation. On or around XX/XX/year> exactly {$7900.00} ( two charges of {$3900.00} ) in unauthorized online debit card charges were made to my account. I did not authorize these transactions, did not benefit from them, and was not located in the city associated with the charges. I promptly reported the fraud to Bank of America and filed a fraud claim on the morning of XX/XX/year>. At this time the charges were still processing. The charges ultimately posted and the bank denied my initial claim. The disputed transactions were highly unusual and inconsistent with the longstanding history and normal activity of my account. The debit card associated with this account is never used for online purchases and generally not used at all. In addition, the disputed charges far exceeded the amount of money typically maintained in the account, and I do not normally overdraft or engage in spending patterns remotely similar to these transactions. These charges should therefore have appeared highly suspicious and out of character in comparison to the established history of the account. At a minimum, I should have been contacted immediately. After the denial, during conversations with Bank of America representatives, I learned additional information that was apparently known to the bank but was not disclosed to me during the original investigation. I was informed that there had been multiple failed authorization attempts and failed CVV attempts before the transactions were eventually approved. I was told that someone repeatedly attempted different security codes until one succeeded. I was also informed by a representative on the phone with my local bank agent that additional suspicious activity involving attempted ACH activity or related account activity occurred after the debit card fraud. Due to these fraud concerns, Bank of America restricted my account to credit only status and opened a replacement account for me. This information appears highly relevant to whether my account was compromised and whether the disputed transactions were unauthorized. Despite these indicators of suspicious activity, my original fraud claim was denied. The unauthorized charges effectively drained my bank account and created immediate financial hardship for my family. I am a mother and am currently awaiting my next paycheck while attempting to manage essential expenses after losing access to these funds. I also requested information regarding hardship assistance or a hardship line of credit from Bank of America during this process, but I was never contacted regarding that request. I have since requested reconsideration of the claim and am currently awaiting a new determination. However, I am concerned that the original investigation may not have been reasonable or complete given the apparent evidence of fraudulent activity. I am requesting that Bank of America : conduct a thorough reconsideration of the fraud claim, provide copies or summaries of the evidence relied upon in denying the original claim, explain how the failed CVV attempts and suspicious ACH-related activity were evaluated during the investigation, provide any relevant investigative findings or fraud notes, and reimburse the unauthorized charges if the investigation confirms the transactions were fraudulent. I am submitting this complaint because I believe significant indicators of account compromise and unauthorized activity may not have been adequately considered during the original investigation.

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 monetary relief