JPMorgan Chase customers who committed a viral check fraud scheme may soon have to pay up

By Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN

New York (CNN) — So long to all that “free” money.

Customers who allegedly withdrew money fraudulently from Chase Bank ATMs using an illegal scheme that blew up on TikTok over the summer could soon have to cut hefty checks back to the bank.

These people were able to withdraw funds by writing checks to themselves and immediately withdrawing funds before the checks bounced. Normally, the bank follows the industry standard of making a portion of any check available to customers before the funds clear. However, a temporary glitch allowed customers to withdraw more substantial amounts than typically allowed before a check clears.

Now the bank is suing four customers who allegedly owe the bank nearly $662,000, according to four lawsuits JPMorgan Chase Bank, Chase’s parent company, filed Monday in three federal courts.

One case in Houston involves a “masked man” who allegedly deposited a $335,000 check to a defendant’s account. Chase says the defendant owes it $291,000 — the most across all four of the cases — the bank said Monday in a Texas filing.

In all four cases, Chase said it reached out to the defendants demanding they “pay the amount of any overdraft along with any fees that apply.” However, the defendants have so far failed to do so, which the bank claims is a violation of the deposit agreement customers have to sign when they open an account.

Now, in addition to returning the funds they allegedly accessed illegally, Chase is demanding the defendants cover the bank’s legal fees and other expenses related to the cases.

JPMorgan also filed lawsuits in Florida and California federal courts.

“Fraud is a crime that impacts everyone and undermines trust in the banking system,” Drew Pusateri, a Chase spokesperson, said in an emailed statement to CNN. “We’re pursuing these cases and actively cooperating with law enforcement to make sure if someone is committing fraud against Chase and its customers, they’re held accountable.”

Pusateri added that the bank is “open to pursuing other individuals or entities we believe engaged in bank fraud.”

JPMorgan Chase is the biggest US bank by assets, with roughly $3.5 trillion.

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