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More fallout for Bank of America involving fake account scandal

An Ohio woman filed a class action lawsuit against Bank of America Friday.

She says the bank opened a credit card account behind her back.

The lawsuit, uncovered by Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke, claims Bank of America put a lot of pressure on its employees to meet certain sales quotas and that the bank “routinely – and shockingly – opened consumer accounts for products without the consumer’s authorization or knowledge” to maximize profits over the course of a decade.

The plaintiff even accuses bankers of forging consumers’ signatures and misusing their sensitive information in the process.

The lawsuit says customers ended up with unexpected fees, impacts to their credit, and headaches undoing the damage.

This comes just days after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered the bank to pay $250 million for “opening fake accounts” and other allegations. More than $100 million of that is meant for consumers. You don’t have to apply for the money. If you qualify, payment is automatic.

The CFPB says Bank of America broke the law in three ways:

1. The CFPB says the bank charged some customers penalties twice for not having enough money in their accounts.

2. The CFPB claims the bank promised cash and bonus points to tens of thousands of people who signed up for Bank of America credit cards but didn’t deliver.

3. The CFPB accuses the bank of using people’s personal information to open accounts without their permission. The agency says consumers ended up with fees, blemishes on their credit reports, and extra work undoing the damage.

As for Bank of America’s side of the story, it told Stoogenke it won’t comment on pending litigation. However, the government’s order says the bank consented to the $250 million order but doesn’t admit or deny wrongdoing and the alleged acts involved a “small percentage” of the bank’s new accounts.

(VIDEO: Feds order Bank of America to pay $250 million for opening fake accounts and other allegations)

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