Cincinnati, OH asked in Banking and Civil Rights for Ohio

Q: I feel as though my bank is discriminating against me, what are my options available?

I opened an account with a bank, and hardly used it for almost a year. During that time period, the amount of funds never went past $500, or negative. My intent was to switch banks once I felt more comfortable with the establishment. Well, my first major transaction was flagged, and without warning, the account locked and recommended for closure. I was depositing four checks for a total of $9,000. I deposited one of the checks with the bank app, and the final three at an ATM kiosk due to the $2,500 cap on the app. Originally, my banker explained that its a normal occurrence, and they simply needed to confirm that the account with the checks had $9,000 or more, so the checks wouldn't bounce. A few days later, the bank changed its reasoning to: we need to verify that the account sending the checks is legitimate, and that I needed to bring in verification of this. I did that the same day, and the bank then changed their tone again, stating that they needed more info.

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2 Lawyer Answers
Matthew Williams
Matthew Williams
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Licensed in Ohio

A: I think your bank suspects you fraud. It’s not discrimination. What you’ve done is highly suspicious. It may be legitimate but they are going to investigate.

Bruce Alexander Minnick agrees with this answer

Bruce Alexander Minnick
Bruce Alexander Minnick
Answered
  • Civil Rights Lawyer
  • Tallahassee, FL

A: FYI, banking facts to remember for the rest of your life:

1. ALL banks watch all new accounts very closely--because that is where the great majority of fraudulent activity occurs.

2. NO banks are required to open any accounts for you--nor are they required to continue holding any of your bank accounts.

3. Whenever faced with a problem like this involving any bank you should stop and think about WHY--because there are only two possibilities here: Either there is a problem with the deposits you made or the bank just does not like you.

4. And in either of the two cases the answer for you is always the same: Close the account and go elsewhere.

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