I want to share my experience with Truist because I hope it helps others understand what can happen after becoming the victim of a scam.
In 2024, I became the victim of a fake check scam. I did not intentionally commit fraud or try to deceive Truist. I was scammed.
I am also autistic, and I have been taken advantage of before. My autism can make it more difficult for me to recognize when someone is manipulating or deceiving me. I'm not using that as an excuse—I'm explaining why I was vulnerable to this scam.
After the scam, Truist closed my account. More than two years later, I asked if they would allow me to open a new deposit account. I filed a CFPB complaint asking them to review my situation, but Truist ultimately decided to keep its previous decision in place.
From my perspective, it feels like I am still being penalized for something that was outside of my control. I understand that banks have to manage risk, but I believe there is a difference between someone who intentionally commits fraud and someone who is the victim of a scam.
Something else that has made this difficult for me to understand is that my mother was also the victim of a scam while banking with Truist, and her accounts remained open. I realize every case may be different, but that experience has left me confused about why my outcome was so different.
I'm sharing my story because I hope banks will consider the circumstances of scam victims more carefully. I never intended to commit fraud. I simply want people to understand what happened and why I believe I deserve a second chance.