Bank of America faces $225 M fine over mishandling unemployment benefits

Bank of America faces $225 M fine over mishandling unemployment benefits

Bank of America has been fined $225 million by two federal regulators for mishandling prepaid debit card accounts used by a dozen states to distribute unemployment benefits during the pandemic. The bank has to compensate people for damages and federal officials say the amount could likely go up to hundreds of millions more. 

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, due to a faulty fraud detection program, Bank of America froze accounts. It stymied customers who sought to have them unlocked, cutting people off from desperately needed funds in 2020 and 2021. Rohit Chopra, director of the consumer bureau says, "Taxpayers relied on banks to distribute needed funds to families and small businesses to rescue the economy from collapse when the pandemic hit." Bank of America failed to live up to its legal obligations. And when it got overwhelmed, instead of stepping up, it stepped back."

Meanwhile, Bank of America said that the problems stemmed from state systems besieged with fraudulent claims. Bill Halldin, a spokesman for the bank said that the pandemic “created unprecedented criminal activity where illegal applicants were able to get states to approve tens of billions of dollars in payments." 

Source: The New York Times
Tags In
HIV

You might also like

For several reasons, the IT sector is appealing to job seekers. ...Read more

Despite the opposition of restaurant owners who worried it would raise customers' bills, California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a nation-leading law providing more than 500,000 fast food employees additional authority and rights. ...Read more

Demands for improved pay and workplace environments are coming from workers in California to New York. ...Read more

New graduates from institutions in Nigeria and other African nations have been made aware of job prospects by Microsoft. ...Read more

A mattress company is searching for a role where napping while working is not only acceptable but also required. 'Casper Sleepers' are being hired by Casper, a New York-based business established in 2014. ...Read more

Articles

Reshoring is on its way for the US, due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, especially for the tech man ...Read more

The employees are the most valuable assets of any organization. It’s their credibility, efficiency, ...Read more

If your organization is on a hiring spree too, one of the key things to consider is the recruitment ...Read more

A successful company not only has growing revenues, but it also boasts of a brilliant workforce. Ma ...Read more