One of the biggest banks in the US reportedly refused to reimburse a customer despite security footage showing a criminal stealing cash from an ATM.
Then, the media got involved.
Berkeley resident and Bank of America customer Kyle Fischer says he recently noticed money had mysteriously vanished from his account, and he promptly alerted the bank’s fraud department, reports ABC7 News.
A couple weeks later, Fisher says he received a letter that denied his claim and launched a surprising accusation.
“We’re denying your fraud claim because you made this withdrawal. If you want to see the proof that we have that you made the transaction, we will send it to you.”
Fischer gladly requested to see the proof, and says he then received an image of someone else taking cash out of an ATM.
“So a couple weeks go by, and they send me the picture of the person who’s supposed to be me. And of course I was not surprised by what I received. It was a picture of a man who, as far as I’m concerned, looks very little like me.”
At that point, Fisher’s friend told him to reach out to local news outlets and share his story.
The ABC7 News team says they agree that the picture – which has not been publicly released – does not look like Fisher.
And after contacting ABC7, the bank abruptly reversed course, re-opened the case and returned the full $1,640 that was stolen from him. After the about-face, the bank issued a brief statement on the matter.
“We take identity theft very seriously. Resolving identity theft issues is a complicated process, and we’re always working to improve our client’s experience.”
Exactly how the criminal managed to access Fisher’s account on the ATM has not been disclosed.
An unusual technique known as the “glue and tap” method made waves early this year, affecting customers at Chase.
The method involves literally squirting glue into an ATMs card reader, which forces customers to use the wireless tapping feature to access their account.
And when the wireless method is used, accounts automatically remain open for further transactions until the user deliberately logs out.
Unsuspecting customers then walk away, allowing thieves to step in and withdraw more cash.
Fisher says he believes the thief stole his money from the ATM on two separate occasions. He thinks the bank may have looked at two photos of the same criminal stealing money and assumed it was him without further investigation.