It's outage season folks and it's not just T-Mobile and Verizon that are down. Bank of America is also experiencing some issues and what makes this particular disruption scary is that the bank's website and app are falsely showing balances of zero to some account holders, while others can't even access their accounts.
Bank of America has acknowledged the issue and in a statement given to The Verge, it said that the problem has largely been fixed.
Some clients are experiencing an issue accessing their accounts and balance information today. These issues are being addressed and have largely been resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Matt Card,Bank of America media relations, October 2024
The outage started shortly before 1PM ET, based on data from monitoring site Downdetector. Users flocked to social media websites like X and Reddit to report that they were either not able to log in to their accounts or being shown an incorrect balance, which was zero in most cases. Oddly enough, the amounts that customers owe were displayed accurately.
Bank of America customers are expressing their frustration after seeing their balance getting wiped to zero. | Image Credit - X
According to some users, only the app is showing a nil balance, whereas theBank of America website is displaying a balance from 24 hours ago. Either way, it seems like most users can't see what their current balance is.
Others are able to access some of their accounts, but they can't transfer funds between them.
Curiously, some users can still pay for purchases using their Bank of America card, which reaffirms that the money is still very much there and not all aspects of the system are broken. Others were not so lucky and were told they had insufficient funds.
Just went to a coffee shop and was able to buy coffee. So the money must still be there even though it says $0
KazyBB, Reddit User, October 2024
I can my actual account balance and seem to have use of my debit card in public (haven't checked online)..also I pulled out money from an ATM at the onset of this this morning at a BofA ATM ...but it still says zero balance on the face of the account
Background_Meal9271, Reddit user, October 2024
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While Bank of America hasn't officially revealed the reason behind the outage, a Reddit user claims that arepresentative at their local branch told them the glitch may have been caused when the app was being updated.
Since the bank has confirmed that they are working on getting things back to normal and the number of complaints on Downdetector has dropped from 20,516 from the peak of the outage to 2,720, the website and the app should be back to displaying your correct balance soon. If you are still panicking, you can call your bank and inquire about your balance.
I called my local branch and the teller gave me a "backdoor" line directly to a representative. She confirmed on her end that my money is there and my balance is showing the same it did yesterday. She said they are updating the app and it's most likely an error with the website or app, not with the balances in the account
Technical-Flan3391, Reddit user, October 2024
This solution is not guaranteed to work though, with one user saying their call didn't go through, presumably because the bank is inundated with calls from angry customers today.
When I called BOFA to get my account balances the money was still there but it did not show in my online banking. Then i was locked out of my online banking and the phone lines were down. I'm sure the branches are getting a ton of action today.
Latter-Building7800, Reddit user, October 2024
Another workaround that has been suggested is tapping "Dashboard" on the app and then going to your account. It's working for a lot of people.
I was able to work around this on the app by clicking "dashboard" and then clicking my account from there. On the dashboard it still showed yesterday's beginning balance, but when it took me to my account it showed all of yesterday's transactions and my current balance.
playtotheexits, Reddit user, October 2024
This is a developing story...
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
