Ex-Bank Employee Says "Never Deposit at an ATM" After Woman Loses $1,000
The issue is a problem across nearly all major banks, says customers.
In a world where most financial interactions happen virtually, when was the last time you actually stepped foot in your local bank? Even ATMs, both free-standing and in-network, allow account holders to make cash withdrawals, check balances, and deposit cash without having to speak to a teller. The automated banking kiosk aims to streamline the overall customer experience—that is, when its technology isn't glitching.
According to a former Chase worker, ATM technical mishaps aren't uncommon nor is there an immediate resolution. The ex-bank employee lent her professional opinion after TikToker Charity Harris revealed that her bank's ATM ate her $1,000 cash deposit, and the bank clerks inside could not help.
RELATED: Chase Slammed for "Unconscionable" Fees on Customers Who "Did Nothing Wrong."
On April 1, Harris said she visited a drive-up Bank of America ATM to deposit $1,000 in cash for rent. She followed the usual prompts, inserted the cash, and watched the machine count her money. But after Harris hit confirm, the kiosk kicked her out and went dark.
"The screen goes black," she told followers in a TikTok video. "I'm like, 'April Fools, that's funny—fix it.' Nope. Five minutes later, I'm still staring. Now a window is loading. There's a mouse…a mouse on the screen."
Harris' video cut to a photo of the frozen ATM with a mouse cursor, as if someone else was controlling the screen with a trackpad. She quickly toggled over to the mobile banking app and checked her account to see if the deposit had gone through. The $1,000 wasn't in her account, so Harris called Bank of America's helpline.
According to Harris, the service representative couldn't assist her and had to transfer her call because the ATM "lost connection and [was] resetting." The ATM eventually reloaded to the welcome page, prompting Harris to start over.
"Now I'm on hold, and I'm getting freaked out because there's so many pissed-off people behind me. So I just move out of the line," she recalled.
Still on hold 20 minutes later, Harris went into the bank to see if she could speak with someone face-to-face. She saw a "lady running around all dressed up," who offered to help. "I hang up and at this point everything is hitting me, and I just start sobbing," said Harris.
Harris said she was kindly escorted to a cubicle and offered tissues. After speaking with the bank employee, Harris was redirected to another representative who could help escalate her case.
"So, now I'm on the phone with a different lady," Harris said in the clip. "And she's like, 'Yeah, we have to go through our cameras and, like, our ATM before we can actually get you that $1,000.' So I'm like, 'OK, how long do you think that will be?' Get this, she goes, 'Hmmm, maybe like 10 days? I don't know.'"
Since it was a Friday, Harris waited until Monday to reach back out and check-in.
"I've heard nothing," Harris updated followers on April 4. "Called them today, checking in, and they're like, 'Oh, you're calling about your fraud case? Yeah, it's still under review."
RELATED: Bank of America Warns About Massive Data Breach Affecting 57,000 Customers.
While Harris is warning followers not to do business with Bank of America, several TikTok users said in the comments that they've experienced similar issues with other major banks, including Chase, PNC, Wells Fargo, and Capital One.
"This has happened to me more than once at capital one. i no longer use their atms," one person wrote, while another added, "This happen to me at Wells Fargo."
"Well I'm videoing everytime I deposit money now," reads a nervous comment.
Meanwhile, a former Chase employee warned those in the comments to "never deposit cash at an atm."
"I used to work @ a chase & this would randomly happen to customers! to this day i still never deposit cash @ an atm," they advised. "It just doesn't seem worth the headache. @ chase you don't even need a deposit slip."
Others suggest Harris "file a complaint with FCC" to escalate her case. Another recommended: "To be honest, you really wanna get them to work with you faster file a complaint with a Better Business Bureau."
