CLEVELAND — The News 5 Investigators have been hearing from Huntington Bank customers about troubling fraud tied to their accounts. We sat down with a group of people from Northeast Ohio who said enough is enough.
The half-dozen people were just a sample of those who’ve contacted us. They said it’s happening in different ways.
ONE OF THESE CUSTOMERS LOST $40,000
“Somebody was in my account. I don’t know how they got there,” said Don Graber, Akron. He told us he lost $40,000. “The fraudster changed my email address and changed my cell number,” he added.
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Doug Robison, Castalia, said the same thing happened to him out of nowhere. He lost about $800.
“How did you find out about this?” we asked.
“My wife was in the hospital, and she checked on the account,” he told us.
Sharon Budin, of Euclid, said the crooks used the money transfer app Zelle to hit two accounts.
“My husband downloaded the app, but we haven’t used it. We haven’t even set it up,” said Budin.
Someone also got into Lisa Lin’s account.
“There were 3 withdrawals of $500 each,” the woman from Stow explained.
Diana Hannan, Massillon, said criminals somehow accessed her account. She said she lost more than $6,000 when they fooled her during a phone call.
“We’re going to put the money in your account and then you can send us the money back,” said Hannan while paraphrasing the crooks.
CUSTOMER CLAIMS BANK LAUGHED AT HER
Patty Bacisin, Port Clinton, told us she, too, got a call and had hundreds taken away. She then went to her bank branch.
“Sorry if I get emotional,” she told us while tearing up. “I sat in front of them and said you guys don’t know what this did to me.”
Bacisin said the customer service was terrible. “I had one of Huntington’s branch look at me and laugh,” she told us.
The others in the group said they didn’t experience that in person. They said people at the bank branches tried to help, but there was only so much they could do. So, they called Huntington for help.
“(I) spoke with them for hours and then a supervisor, a supervisor of supervisors,” said Lin.
CUSTOMERS TRYING TO GET ANSWERS
“I was transferred to so many people,” said Hannan. “The final person…I say, you know, could you just give me the number instead of trying to transfer me? If we get disconnected, I’ll just call them directly. ‘No, we’re not allowed to give those numbers out.’”
“Everybody says pending,” said Graber. “It’s pending…even two-and-a-half months later or three months later. They all say pending.”
“And you all don’t get any information from them?” we said.
“No,” they said.
“You don’t get a phone call from them? we said.
“Nothing,” said Lin.
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HUNTINGTON BANK RESPONDS, SORT OF
We got a call from a Huntington rep who complained about our previous reporting.
“How can you even begin to say that our coverage has been unfair?” we asked the rep during the call. “(We) have given you guys every opportunity to go on camera.”
We, once again, gave them an invitation to sit down with us and answer concerns about fraud. So far, no interview.
“You gave us your word that you would protect us and you failed to do it,” said Bacisin about Huntington Bank.
We will continue this conversation with the group soon right here on News5Cleveland.com.
On Tuesday, you’ll hear about what they said Huntington determined about their fraud claims, what message they have for the company, and how a federal agency is now investigating Huntington Bank.
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