Customers are furious after Bank of America allegedly handed private customer information over to federal investigators in an effort to assist in Capitol Hill riot investigation.
The country’s second-largest bank allegedly scoured through information of anyone making certain purchases in and around Washington before and after the riots at the request of the FBI.
211 people were reportedly identified as fitting a specific profile, but only one of them was brought in for questioning by the FBI.
Now, customers and the public are calling out the action, and some went to Twitter to announce that they are pulling out their accounts and urging others to do the same.
“‘Bye bye, Bank of America’: Outraged customers boycott firm as it’s revealed the bank snooped through HUNDREDS of innocent people’s accounts looking for Capitol rioters – so who else is doing it?,” one Twitter user posted.
“The customer should SUE @BankofAmerica unless there was a subpoena involved!,” another tweeted.
Bank of America spokesperson said that they do not comment on its communications with the authorities.
“All banks have responsibilities under federal law to cooperate with law enforcement inquiries in full compliance with the law,” said the spokesperson.
Under the 1970Bank Secrecy Act, banks are required to notify law enforcement to “deter and detect money laundering, terrorist financing, and other criminal acts and the misuse of our nation’s financial institutions.”
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, failure to comply can subject a bank to “large” civil monetary penalties.
More than 170 people who were identified at the US Capitol riot has been arrested by the FBI, and hundreds more are being hunted down.
Five people died during the riots, including a Capitol Police officer, while a second member of the Capitol Police and an officer with the DC Metro Police took their own lives in the aftermath.