Consumer complaint received 2025-02-21 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
Below is the message I sent to the CEO of Bank of America along with the message i received from Bank of America. There are letting criminals get away with scamming seniors instead of protecting their customers. I would like someone to help me with this. They are planning on debiting my account for the {$510.00} on XX/XX/XXXX that was stolen from me by scammers pretending to be Bank of America Fraud department employees and had me follow their instructions. THIS IS SO WRONG!!!! 

XXXX XXXX Dear XXXX XXXX, I realize this letter may never be read by you because XXXX a peon in your world. However, I have been a client of B of A for many years and needed to state my case and apologize in advance for the length of this email. You need to know all of the facts. 

In XXXX of XXXX, I received a call from Bank of America Fraud department alerting me to fraud activity on my checking account for {$2200.00} for XXXX iPhones. Being cautious, I looked at the phone number on my phone and matched it to the fraud phone number on the back of my B of A credit card. Everything matched! The representative gave me his B of A ID number and his name which I wrote down, and he knew all my recent transactions, my SS #, my date of birth, etc. There was absolutely no reason for me to doubt this person. 

He then proceeded to give me instructions on how to reverse this transaction through my XXXX account and gave me a code to enter at the $ sign to let B of A know that it was really me and gave them authorization to reverse the transaction. I did everything I was told to do. Once the transaction was complete, he gave me his personal phone number to call him in case of any problems. 

That night I went into my account to make sure everything looked correct. Thats when I saw a debit for {$510.00}. XXXX for something I did not recognize. Thats when I knew my identity was stolen! 

I immediately called the police and filled out a police report giving them all the information I had. I was told that these thieves eventually get caught but not in the timeframe I would like. The next day I spent most of my day at the local bank going over all the details with the fraud department as well as giving her the police report #. 

I had to change my checking account, ALL my credit cards, my phone number that I had for over 30 years and my phone. Its been a nightmare! I was told that the amount these thieves took ( {$510.00} ) would be put back in my account temporarily and an investigation would be started. I felt a sense of relief that Bank of America would do their job and protect their clients against these awful criminals. 

This morning I received an email that the investigation was complete and that the refund in my account would be reversed. 

THIS IS SO WRONG! I would like to know why Bank of America is protecting these criminals instead of your clients! {$510.00} may not seem like a lot to some people like your huge clients, however I am retired ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) XXXX and I still have to work to make ends meet. It is a major amount to me and I dont understand why Im being punished for being a victim of fraud by someone who was very good at pretending he was a B of A employee!

I hope whoever reads this send it to the appropriate department to do the right thing and sees that this decision is reversed.

Again I may not be one of your major clients, but I want a bank that is going to make sure it stands by its clients. 

I look forward to a response from whoever reads this letter. 

Regards, XXXX XXXX Sent from my XXXX Begin forwarded message : XXXX TX XXXX Account ending in XXXX Date XX/XX/XXXX Claim number : XXXX Amount : {$510.00} XXXX, were unable to approve your recent claim. 
Our research included the information you provided with your claim, your account history, the monthly account statements we sent you and if available, information from the merchant, such as a signed receipt or contract. We made this decision because : The charge was authorized by you or made by someone who has permission to use the card or account. 
Whats next The credit ( s ) for {$510.00} that was applied to your account will be removed on XX/XX/XXXX, along with any credit ( s ) for fees related to this claim - you ll see the adjustment ( s ) on your monthly statement. 
For updates on your claim If you d like copies of the documents we used to make this decision, please call us at XXXX, Monday through Friday, from XXXX a.m. to XXXX XXXX. XXXX. Please have your claim number when you call. 
Thank you for your patience during our review. 

From : XXXX XXXX XXXX Date : XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX To : of XXXX XXXX XXXX Subject : Re : Fraud Claim for account - XXXX - Claim is complete Thus is not right. My identities stolen from these people pretending to be Bank of America. Who do I escalate this to. You are supposed to be protecting your clients, not the hackers!!!! 
Sent from my XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX, Bank of America XXXX wrote : Bank of America XXXX 
XXXX Claim for account - XXXX XXXX XXXX of XXXX Claim is complete Updated XX/XX/XXXX Your claim is complete. View details for more information. 
View details Claim ID XXXX Claim amount {$510.00} Claim opened XX/XX/XXXX Want to receive updates via the app? Download the latest app, and turn on Status Tracker notifications in Alert Settings under General.

We'll never ask for your personal information such as SSN or ATM PIN in email messages. If you get an email that looks suspicious or you are not the intended recipient of this email, don't click on any links. Instead, forward to XXXX then delete it. 
Please don't reply to this automatically generated service email. 
Privacy Notice Equal Housing Lender Bank of America , N.A . Member FDIC. 
XXXX Bank of America Corporation.

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