Ernest Nitzberg says he immediately felt cheated when he received a statement from Chase in January that showed he owed $6,200 on a debit card -- a card he said he'd signed up for but had not yet received. When Chase refused to refund his money, he sought publicity for his gripe by submitting a blog entry to HuffPost.
"Someone at Chase or a friend of someone at Chase -- there's no other way to explain it -- had gotten hold of my never-received debit card and all my personal information including my PIN number and went on a spree, racking up $6200 in cash advances and credit card charges," wrote Nitzberg, a 78-year-old resident of the Bronx. "Fourteen transactions were made on the same day that included three trips to an ATM to remove cash and 11 to such places as Juicy Couture, Shalom Dresses, Toys R Us [3x] and to be a bit more upscale, Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue."
Nitzberg and Chase viewed each other with mutual suspicion.
"They kindly informed me that I would not get my money back because, according to their algorithms, I fit the profile of a credit card cheat," Nitzberg wrote. "Mind you, I am, once again, a 78-year-old retired New York City public school teacher with no criminal record; but according to Chase, I was the most likely suspect."
After Nitzberg posted his story on Friday, a HuffPost reporter forwarded it to a Chase spokesman, who said Chase had made its final decision regarding his account. But on Monday, Nitzberg said a Chase employee called him to say the bank was taking another look.
Meanwhile, HuffPost spoke to the New York Police Department, which had conducted a brief investigation after Nitzberg complained that he'd been robbed. Whoever was using Nitzberg's debit card -- and PIN number -- had done an excellent job of covering his or her tracks.
"They did obtain some footage from one of the ATMs," said the NYPD spokesman on Monday. "The person is all hooded up... The person is all bundled up... There's no way to identify the individual."
Without a lead, the NYPD gave up on the investigation.
But on Tuesday, after taking a second look, the bank reversed itself. Nitzberg said a bank rep called him to say he'd get his $6,200 back: "We examined the account and we saw no reason we should have disbelieved you and the money will be in your account this afternoon."
A Chase spokesman confirmed the refund to HuffPost: "We reviewed the case again and we were able to make a refund of the customer."
Nitzberg is glad to have his money back, but not exactly gleeful.
"[The bank rep] expected me to thank her profusely and prodigiously, and I did not," Nitzberg said. "I said, 'You have caused me enormous aggravation.'"