When you are the victim of fraud, you assume that your biggest friend will be your bank. They’re the ones that are supposed to help you put your life back together.

Not so for Gloria Carlo, 51, a single mom from the South Bronx who banks with Bank of America. According to the NY Post, between August and October of 2005, someone completely drained Gloria’s savings accounts. In all, the thief spent $68,733.77 of Gloria’s money, including $23,312.04 in overdraft credit provided by Bank of America.

Gloria filed a police report and an affidavit of fraud. She petitioned the bank to recognize that she hadn’t randomly decided to drain her life savings.

From the NYPost:

“They couldn’t see my funds were depleted? What kind of bank would give an overdraft of $23,000? We are not talking about $100,” she said.

Carlo, a retired clerk with the city’s Human Resources Administration, takes home just $2,110 a month from her pension and Social Security disability benefits.

In all, she lost $68,733.77 in the apparent identity-theft scam, according to her lawyer.

She filed a police report. She filed an affidavit of fraud. She protested to the bank to no avail. Then a series of tragedies – the death of her mother and brother, and her own visits to the hospital for heart failure and pulmonary embolism – distracted her.

Soon after she got back from a three-day hospital stay last month, Carlo found a court summons under her door. Bank of America was suing her.

“Oh, my God, I was shocked. They would not give me a break,” she said. “They don’t care how much the thieves took. All they cared about was the overdraft.”

Bank of America declined to comment.

We’d decline to comment too. —MEGHANN MARCO

DOUGH UNTO OTHERS [NYPost]
(Photo: NYPost)

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