Atlanta

Months after Channel 2 investigation, Truist Bank customers still experiencing fraud problems

ATLANTA — Truist Bank customers say they are still dealing with fraud on their accounts. Channel 2 Action News first reported on the issue earlier this spring.

Truist continues to tell us these are isolated incidents.

The issues first started after the merger of Sun Trust and BB&T banks were finalized.

Since then, Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray said he gets calls and emails from frustrated customers every few days.

“The first transaction was $56,129, and the second transaction was around $29,000,” said a Truist customer who asked only to be identified as Tamara.

Tamara is a small business owner in the Sandy Springs area. She told Gray that more than $90,000 was taken from her Truist bank account through two different fraudulent transactions.

“I’m not going to lie; the amount shocked me,” Tamara said.

What she said was even more shocking was the response from the Truist fraud department. She reported the fraud in May and has heard anything from Truist since.

“It is no help. Like, there is no fraud department,” Tamara said.

MORE STORES FROM 2 INVESTIGATES:

Channel 2 Action News Investigates has been hearing from Truist customers about cases of fraud and problems with the fraud department ever since the bank’s merger completed in the spring.

Marietta attorney Allen Manhiem said he only got help after a forged check was written on his business account when Channel 2 Action News stepped in.

“You can’t get through. There’s nobody to answer questions. There’s nobody to take responsibility,” Manheim said.

A Truist bank employee even emailed him at the time, saying that they were aware of delays with the fraud department. They wrote, “I understand the wait times are outrageous as we’ve been dealing with the same hurdles in the branch.”

A Truist spokesperson tells Gray they will investigate Tamara’s problem:

“We take potential fraud concerns very seriously and will escalate to the appropriate teams to research and respond directly to the client. We aren’t experiencing any broad-based issues related to fraud.”

After the first fraudulent transfer on Tamara’s account, Citibank — where the funds were deposited — warned Truist about the potential fraud, but Truist still allowed another transfer of $29,000 and never alerted Tamara.

“This has come like a thief in the night out of my account where this money was pulled,” Tamara said.

Truist continues to maintain there is no “broad-based issues related to fraud.”

They thanked Gray for flagging Tamara’s case and said they are now investigating.

RELATED NEWS: