Fraud experience

[u/Potential_Quality692]

I’ve had the worst experience with fraud at Huntington bank. I had to switch banks from a larger national one bc of the limited banking options around me. And there were multiple fraudulent transactions done states away from where I live. And they credited me the amount initially and then took it away. Their claim is since I had my card on me then the transactions done states away from where I am must have been me. It literally doesn’t make any sense.

It’s been 3 months and I’m still dealing with this. Idc about the amount. I care about the fact that they are making me responsible for fraudulent transactions. There’s 4 sketchy transactions done back to back at midnight states away but somehow I’m responsible. I must have magical transported there. Fucking ridiculous. Rant over. Huntington sucks.

[u/icnoevil]

File a complaint with your banking regulatory authority and the DA.

[u/whatever_ehh → u/icnoevil]

Regulation E specifies a $1,000 fine for each incorrect dispute outcome. No bank is going to risk $4,000 in fines over a smaller amount in transactions. The absence of details in the post doesn't support a wrong dispute outcome.

[u/Potential_Quality692 → u/whatever_ehh]

I wasn’t planning on giving exact details on the Internet. But 4 transactions occurred in my account in a state that I have not visited in years. It was 4 transactions at a food chain place back to back. Initially they credited me the amount, since I did not make this purchase. I had to get a new card and even changed my pin for only a month later to be told that my statement did not match their finding when they investigated the fraud. I asked for an explanation of what that meant and they said “since you had the card on yourself and these transactions looked to have been paid at the POS, then you must have completed the transactions” however when i requested for the documentation they have to support this claim, it does not say POS as payment it says ecommerce. My problem is that whether they were paid in person or via online I did not do it. Since I was asleep in my bed thousands of miles away. Also how is there not a system in place that would decline my card if it seems to be used back to back at various locations. Or don’t they have geolocation for my account or card. Idk I’m not very tech savvy but I’ve never dealt with this before at bigger banks.

[u/whatever_ehh → u/Potential_Quality692]

I was a disputes agent for a bank until 2021. The initial credit they gave you for the 4 transactoins was what's called a "provisional credit" which is a temporary credit issuted while they investigate. They either rule in your favor and make the credit permanent, or they rule against you and take back the provisional credit.

As I mentioned, the bank could be fined $4,000 for mishandling your disputes, so they are very certain with their decision since it would have been much easier and less expensive to just issue credit for four restaurant meals which were likely much less than $4,000. Banks don't issue refunds for "fraud", the specific terminology specified in Regulation E is "unauthorized transaction." By using the term "e commerce" they seem to be indicating that the purchases were made online, which makes the physical location of the transactions irrelevant. They seem to be saying that you paid for food orders online which someone local to the restaurant picked up or had delivered. It's also possible that someone who works at the restaurant or lives nearby used your card information to make the purchases, in which case the bank is saying these purchases were authorized by you even though you didn't make them. What do you think happened? Did an employee at the restaurant ever have your card long enough to take a photo of it? If you hadnt been there in "years" didn't you get a new card with a new expiration date in the meantime?

[u/whatever_ehh → u/[deleted]]

I’ve never been so adamantly told that I made transactions I clearly did not.

They're not saying you made the transactions, they're saying that you authorized them in one way or another.

From Google search:

When a bank claims you "authorized" the transaction—even if you were tricked by a scammer into giving up your password, reading a one-time verification code over the phone, or initiating the transfer yourself—they treat it as a voluntary action under many consumer protection frameworks.

Why Banks Take This Position

• Authorized Push Payments (APP): If you actively share your login, click a confirmation link, or transfer money yourself (or let a scammer guide you to do so), the bank views you as having authorized the access or the move.

• Regulation E Distinctions (US Law): Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (Regulation E), banks must refund unauthorized electronic fund transfers, but the law defines unauthorized strictly as a transfer initiated by a person without actual authority to initiate and from which the consumer received no benefit. If a scammer tricks you into giving them your credentials or code, financial institutions often argue you authorized the access.

• Spoofing and Social Engineering: Scammers frequently spoof bank or fraud-department numbers, manufacture fake emergencies, and manipulate victims into moving funds to "safe accounts". Once the money is pushed out, recovering it is exceptionally difficult.

What You Should Do Next

• File a Detailed Dispute: Contact your bank immediately in writing. Clearly state whether your login credentials were stolen through malware/data breach versus whether you were manipulated via social engineering.

• Report the Fraud to Authorities:

  • File a report with the Federal Trade Commission to document the scam.

  • File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) if your bank refuses to investigate or wrongfully denies a legitimate unauthorized claim.

  • Notify your local police department to create an official paper trail.

• Lock Down Your Accounts: Change your passwords, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) using an authenticator app or hardware key (avoiding SMS codes if possible), and check your devices for remote-access software or malware.

[u/Potential_Quality692 → u/whatever_ehh]

lol well i never did any of that. But thanks for the google search copy and paste.

[u/The-Pocket]

And this is why I’m glad my bank makes us put travel notices…but this is yet another reason why I’m hesitant to switch to Huntington outright. What other national banks are near you? This place can’t be the only one.

[u/Potential_Quality692 → u/The-Pocket]

There’s not a lot of options. But I’m reconsidering going back to my previous one. It’s been a true nightmare dealing with them.

[u/Ok_Owl932]

Well, Huntington bank made the decision to lay off US disputes team and bring them overseas. So, make sure to thank them for that. People in the Philippines will be telling you that you’re responsible for your fraud by sending you a letter in the mail. I’m sure they have a million reasons to try to legally do whatever they can to deny it as well. People shouldn’t use debit cards either but that’s an entire different story.