CHICAGO (WLS) — A small business owner in Chicago says thousands of dollars were stolen from her bank account.
The woman says she reported the fraud to Chase Bank, but they wouldn’t give her the money back.
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Every dollar matters for small businesses.
Jayla Stampley, 24, lost over $8,000 to fraud. She said the bank held her responsible for the funds.
Stampley has had a passion for hair care for as long as she can remember.
“Since I was young, I was always playing around in the kitchen, making shea butters and just seeing what worked for me and what didn’t,” she said.
She kept at it, and eventually started her own natural hair care line, Imani Origins.
It’s her baby. But, a couple of months ago, she says fraudsters nearly put her brand in jeopardy. She noticed her bank account had been hacked.
“I just knew I had to act really fast,” Stampley said.
Stampley says she noticed several ATM withdrawals from her checking account. So, she called Chase to file a claim.
She says the bank encouraged her to freeze her account, and they would issue her a new card.
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A few weeks later, she says, the new debit card still hadn’t arrived.
Then, she spotted several more fraudulent transactions from her savings account.
“I, of course, called again, filed the claims, and they investigating the claims and stated, ‘no, this was you,'” Stampley said.
In a letter Stampley received last month, Chase said, “We found that the transaction(s) was processed according to the information you provided or was authorized. No adjustment will be made to your account at this time. Contact us if you would like to request the information we used for our research.”
That’s when she reached out to the ABC7 Chicago I-Team.
“I think you really have a way with the community, and we felt trusting that you could help and address the issue,” Stampley said.
The I-Team reached out to Chase, and the bank reached out to Stampley the next day.
“The funds were renewed shortly after,” she said.
Now, Stampley is hoping for a prosperous year ahead for her hair care brand.
“I can continue to grow and expand over time and provide value to more people,” she said.
A spokesperson for Chase said they always recommend customers to call the bank immediately if their card has been lost, stolen or damaged, or if they notice unauthorized charges.
Stampley said she did just that, but her claim was still denied.
Call the I-Team at 312-750-7847 if you have a story you’d like Samantha Chatman and the I-Team to investigate.
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