A 24-year-old boy faced with this nightmare scenario reached out to 7 On Your Side, who got to the bottom of this mystery.
“I felt like I lost my life savings and it was very frustrating,” said Andrew Alexander.
First, he lost his job – then all the money, $ 80,000 in total.
The money was set aside for his education and was frozen during what Alexander believed to be a routine bank transfer.
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“There was a promotion with Citibank that if you open an account with a certain amount of money, I get $ 700. So, I was just trying to get that extra bonus,” said Alexander.
He transferred $ 50,000 from his Chime account online just before Christmas, and then was ‘caught’.
“Basically, the next day, both accounts were frozen and Chime says my funds were not eligible for a refund,” said Alexander. “As to why both accounts were frozen, I still have no idea.”
Chime wanted Alexander to provide unemployment checks, but Citibank did not ask for any documentation and did not reveal why all of his money was frozen.
“Each time I contacted them, they didn’t give me a reason,” said Alexander. “They said the block outside its scope was going to the branch when I went to the branch, they said to call me.”
With his rent and bills to pay, Alexandre was lost.
The 24-year-old’s job disappeared when the establishment where he worked closed because of COVID.
He has been working as a personal trainer and has re-enrolled in college, so he was desperate to unlock tuition money.
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“I needed to buy gifts. I couldn’t even buy food, my girlfriend took care of me,” said Alexander.
Until he decided to call 7 On Your Side to give it a try, and his cool money.
The 7 On Your Side team asked Chime and Citibank to investigate.
We never found out what caused the freeze because none of the banks are allowed to discuss customer accounts. But just 48 hours after we called, the great cold in Alexander’s ‘Benjamins’ was thawed.
“I was definitely relieved. I felt happy and grateful to really appreciate it,” said Alexander.
Citibank sent a check for $ 50,000 and Chime unlocked $ 30,000.
“If it weren’t for you (7 On Your Side), I wouldn’t be able to get my money,” said Alexander. “I appreciate the involvement of 7 On Your Side. Thank you very much and continue to help people.”
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