Bank denied your fraud claim? Get a lawyer’s review.

Identify the transaction and account

Was the entry a debit-card purchase, ATM withdrawal, ACH transfer, app payment, credit-card charge, check, or wire? Was the account personal or business? These details help determine which rules apply.

For electronic transfers, explain who initiated the payment and what authority that person had. Distinguish a payment someone made without permission from a purchase you approved but later disputed, or a scam payment you personally sent.

Reporting dates can matter

For the standard Regulation E error process, notice generally must arrive within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent. Lost or stolen access devices have additional prompt-notice liability rules; prepaid accounts can have modified requirements. Do not wait to assemble a perfect file before reporting. See § 1005.11 and § 1005.6.

Investigations and provisional credit

Under the standard process, institutions generally investigate within 10 business days or provisionally credit qualifying claims and take up to 45 days. Some cases have 20-business-day or 90-day periods, and exceptions and written-confirmation requirements matter. Temporary credit is not a final decision. See the full error-resolution rule.

Request the documents behind the denial

For a covered adverse determination, Regulation E requires written findings and notice of the right to request the documents relied on. Request those records and compare them with your transaction list and evidence. See § 1005.11(d).

Check whether the decision addresses every disputed entry. Identify a wrong date, missing transaction, or unexplained reference to a device or recipient. Keep the original letter intact and put your comments in a separate timeline.

Possible legal remedies need an individual assessment

An attorney can assess whether the facts support a claim, what losses are documented, whether statutory remedies may apply, and whether the matter belongs in court or arbitration. The governing agreement, reporting history, and any filing deadline must be reviewed.

Keep records of fees and other claimed losses, refunds already received, and the balance still disputed. A bank appeal, regulator complaint, and legal claim are different processes; do not assume one pauses the deadline for another. No outcome can be promised from a denial letter alone.

What to save for a case review

• The affected account statement and a transaction-by-transaction list.
• The first statement date, discovery date, and date and content of your first report.
• Written confirmations, claim numbers, and evidence supplied to the institution.
• The denial and documents relied on, if available.
• Temporary-credit entries, reversal notices, related fees, and the account agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and account documents

• Regulation E error-resolution procedures
• Regulation E unauthorized-transfer liability
• CFPB electronic fund transfer FAQs