Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga

Structural Patterns

Reflections on Art, Technology and Society

Avoid Capital One at All Cost – NO PROTECTION FROM FRAUD

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At this point, we all know that banks are relatively evil. However, in the credit-based economy that we have all contributed to, it’s difficult to function without a bank, unless of course you’re prepared to live off the grid; most people aren’t.

On December 8th, I made a withdrawal from a Capital One ATM in NYC where I live. That evening, I boarded a plane to Madrid, Spain with my family. We arrived in the morning and needed Euros, so I went to an airport ATM in the Madrid airport and withdrew a 100 euros that added up to a $133 dollars. We went to Madrid due to work and immediately started working. I did not check my Capital One account for three days due to work.

On the morning of December 12th, I tried to withdraw money from a bank ATM. My Capital One card told me that I had withdrawn over the limit for the day. Later that day, when I had a computer available, I checked my Capital One account. There was fraudulent activity on my account.

On the same day that I withdrew a 100 euros in Madrid that was December 9th, someone in NYC withdrew $500 from my Capital One saving account three times from two different ATMs – 993 2ND Avenue, New York, NY and 10 East 34th Street, New York, NY. They also withdrew from my Capital One checking account $303 on December 9th at 993 2nd Avenue. Capital One did absolutely nothing, although separately I withdrew $133 from an ATM in Madrid, Spain.

On December 12th, when I checked my account, more withdrawals were in process. Two withdrawals at $500, two withdrawals at $403 and one withdrawal at $503 all from NYC. I called Capital One, and spoke with someone to stop these withdrawals and was told that nothing could be done because they were in process and I could not file a complaint about them until they were processed. Meanwhile my account went into the red.

I’ve dealt with several banks through my life. And most banks have some security in place to stop withdrawals at the limit, particularly when withdrawals are being drawn via debit card from two different parts of the world. Meanwhile Capital One allowed $4,112 to be withdrawn on December 9th and on December 12th. During all this time I am in Spain. After talking with a representative at Capital One, I’m told that I must sign an affidavit to have the money from the fraudulent activity put into my accounts. I can not sign the affidavit because they can not fax it internationally or email it to me.

The following week, a paycheck was direct deposited into my savings account. I needed to pay my mortgage, so I moved money into my checking account so that I could pay my mortgage. Unfortunately nearly all the money that I moved went to balancing the negative amount in my checking account due to the fraudulent activity that Capital One did not protect me from. And then on top of that they took money for overdraft – $35 three times! So now, I can’t sign the affidavit, I can’t pay my mortgage, I can’t pay any bills and my credit is going to hell because Capital One sucks!!!

Written by ricardo

December 22nd, 2011 at 5:19 am