Complaint Review: Bank Of America

Over six months ago, while checking the bank balance on the phone, the teller was suprised to tell me that the same Social Security # of my husband was being used by another person in California! I did a quick google of the town and name of this person and found out that the town was next to San Diego but the name came up nill. I immediatly went down to our local branch and asked for the assistant manager and told her what had happened; she shook her head and said she felt sorry for the woman for all the money she was working for was going into my husbands SS account. I was stunned. While I felt for the woman, I was still very incensed that she was using a stolen number! I asked her what I could do to clear this matter up. The only thing she could do, she said, was send a memo to the California Branch and ask them to do an ID check.

How could she be using my husbands SS number, I asked upset. Doesn't that bank has safeguards to stop this?
The assistant manager (actually a very nice lady) said that California Bank of America was seperate from the rest of the US and they did not have any way of controlling or checking info in that state.

Very upset, I called the local police who told me they could do nothing, not even take a report for the crime had not been committed in their jurisdiction. I called the San Diego police who said they could do nothing for I was from Oregon.

What?

Banks and the government agencies always go on about ID theft but when it happens, there is nothing you can do!
Two months ago, I finally signed up for on line banking and have kept an extreme close eye on the account, plus I went to the local branch and asked them to check to see if my husbands SS number was being used for another account. With relief it was not.

Rhana
Hermiston, Oregon
U.S.A.