More customers say thieves stole money out of Chime accounts

CHARLOTTE — Earlier this month, Channel 9 investigated cases involving the popular online banking platform Chime. Multiple customers contacted Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke saying someone took money out of their account, and that Chime held them responsible.

Since that first report, more customers have contacted Stoogenke, saying money was taken out of their accounts as well.

Diya Andrews says she got an alert on her phone saying someone took more than $400 out of her Chime account. The alert also included a location — Park Road Shopping Center. The shopping center is roughly nine miles away from Andrews’ home.

“I had other bills that I needed to cover, and credit cards and stuff like that, so it definitely put me in a bad space,” she said. “But luckily, I had family to kind of help me out and spot me (money) when I needed it.”

Andrews says she immediately reported it to Chime and filed a police report.

She says Chime told her it investigated her case, but for some reason it did not side with her.

More than 15 people contacted Stoogenke recently with similar stories.

Stoogenke checked records with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and found similar complaints, but the agency says it won’t comment on whether it is investigating Chime.

“We’re not getting anywhere at this point, so I’m just not even sure what else to do now,” Andrews said.

Stoogenke emailed Chime about her case and one day later, she says the company had credited her account. Chime did not give Channel 9 details about her case.

Chime did provide the following statement, along with tips to help prevent fraud:

“Everything we do at Chime is done with the goal of helping our members on their financial journey. We know fraud is an industry issue that can occur in a number of different ways — from ATM skimming to scams — and we have invested significantly to help prevent it. As an example, 20% of our workforce is dedicated to addressing the critical functions of risk and compliance.

“In the very small number of instances when fraud does occur, our team works to evaluate and resolve the case as quickly as possible — all with a focus on protecting our members. We are always working to enhance and improve our fraud protection and prevention efforts so that we lead the industry in customer-first practices.”

“Preventing fraud tips:

In addition to the steps that Chime, law enforcement and other financial institutions are taking, there are some ways that consumers can help keep their accounts safe. Our members are encouraged to reach out to us 24x7 via phone, email and/ or chat in app if they have any questions or suspect instances of fraud.

— Monitor your accounts closely and regularly.

— Report suspicious activity immediately.

— Practice safe online banking, such as using strong passwords.

— Protect yourself against online scams by never giving out personal information — no matter the ask.”

Here is more information for consumers:

Protecting Your Money From Bank Fraud

A Guide on How to Protect Yourself From Online Scams

Advice from Action 9:

No matter where you bank, Stoogenke says you should notify your bank of any unauthorized transaction within 60 days of getting your statement.

In most cases, the bank has 10 business days to investigate.

If the bank finds in your favor, it only has one business day to replace the money.

For more information on your rights in these and similar situations, click here.

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