BMO Harris Bank, Good Year City Branch, Tucson, Arizona review: Refund of a forex transaction, done to a wrong account

Subject: Complaint Regarding Wire Transfers to Doretta Banks' Account in BMO Harris, Good year city branch, Tucson, AZ.

I, Dr. Swati Save, am writing to formally lodge a complaint concerning a wire transfer that transpired on September 13th, 2021, to an account holder from the BMO Harris Bank branch located in Goodyear City, Arizona. Jessica H’oard, Branch Manager, oversaw the transfer of these funds into the account of "Doretta Banks." The purpose of this correspondence is to bring to your attention the series of irregularities and apparent negligence that surrounded this transaction, and to earnestly request your intervention in addressing this matter.

On September 13th, 2021, I initiated a wire transfer amounting to USD 65,000 from my financial institution, ICICI (Account#[protected]), to an account held by Doretta Banks at BMO Harris Bank. This transfer was categorized as a FOREX transaction. However, upon the initiation of the transfer, the funds were inexplicably placed on hold by Advocate Chetan Yadav. He insisted that he needed to meet with Jerry Cole, who presented himself as an attorney, before the release of the funds to Doretta Banks account, his alleged associate. This unexpected and lengthy delay, spanning six months with the funds held in limbo, raised significant concerns. Consequently, my bank, ICICI, took the initiative to file a formal complaint on November 21st, 2021 (SR 00WBaGSRH7E4W91), requesting the immediate recall and refund of the transferred funds. I formally request the branch manager Jennifer H’oard to initiate refund of the fund son December 20th, 2021, instead on December 21st the funds were released to Doretta Banks who visited the Bank in person, to retrieve the funds. We have email evidences of all these requests & complaints.

To our bewilderment, BMO Harris Bank communicated that they were unable to facilitate the recall of funds once they had been deposited into the account, unless a legal notice was issued. In an attempt to address the matter, I personally reached out to the Bank manager, explicitly requesting the recall of the funds. Nevertheless, BMO Harris Bank proceeded to release the funds to Doretta Banks, citing her in-person visit to the bank on December 21st, 2021, to collect the funds. Throughout 2022, my efforts were focused on negotiating with various parties, including Banks, and seeking legal representation to file a civil complaint.

Recognizing the severity of this situation, in January 2023, I engaged the State Bar Council of California to file a complaint against the purported attorney, Jerry Cole. Concurrently, I approached the Arizona Police with intent to report Doretta Banks; however, I was advised to first file a complaint with the bank. Subsequently, my bank, ICICI, initiated another formal complaint on June 21st, 2023 (SR910266672), urging BMO Harris Bank to respond to our previous appeals. Regrettably, BMO Harris Bank responded with an assertion of their inability to assist us, citing the release of the funds to Doretta Banks and thereby sidestepping our ongoing concerns and grievances.

Regrettably, we find ourselves compelled to escalate this matter by filing a formal complaint against BMO Harris Bank for their conspicuous lack of responsiveness to our appeals and their failure to exercise due diligence in preventing a possible fraudulent transaction. We firmly implore BMO Harris Bank to take immediate action to summon Doretta Banks to their Goodyear City branch and to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her access to the funds.

It is of paramount importance to highlight that I was provided with a Bank Guarantee by Jerry Cole and Martin Chamberlin, both of whom held them out as credible individuals, guaranteeing the funds' utilization for the establishment of a children's charity. Consequently, Doretta Banks must be viewed as an accomplice to this fraudulent scheme.

We insist that BMO Harris Bank initiates a thorough investigation into this matter and provides us with the requisite assistance in recovering the transferred funds. BMO Harris Bank bears the responsibility of ensuring the security and legitimacy of transactions conducted within their institution.

In light of the foregoing, we respectfully request that BMO Harris Bank promptly refund the full sum of USD 65,000 to my account at ICICI Bank and take swift action to redress this grave issue. Failure to do so may compel us to pursue legal remedies to recover the funds and seek compensation for the distress endured as a result of this unfortunate episode.

We anticipate a timely resolution to this matter and wholeheartedly request your cooperation in diligently investigating the circumstances surrounding this wire transfer. We kindly request a written response within 15 days from the date of this letter.

Following additional documents are attached to this form: 1) Bank Guarantee, 2) Receipt of the transaction, 3) emails sent to Jessica H’oard

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. Swati Save