Bank wants to sue customers over viral TikTok videos

Videos showing people being able to get “unlimited cash” at Chase ATMs went viral on social media over the summer.

This turned out to be a scam. And now Chase is suing customers who followed the steps in the videos.

Reuters reports how the videos – which became popular on TikTok – exposed a vulnerability in the ATM system.

Specifically, people were able to deposit large checks and then withdraw money immediately instead of waiting for them to clear, Reuters explains. This also applied to checks that were later cashed.

According to the same Reuters article, JPMorgan Chase filed lawsuits in federal courts in California, Texas and Miami. Those lawsuits accused two individuals and two companies of withholding more than $661,000 after checks they deposited were deemed forged or counterfeit. However, the bank expressed its intention to take legal action against anyone else involved in this trend.

CNN Business further reports that Chase is asking the defendants to cover legal fees and other costs associated with the cases.

“Fraud is a crime that affects everyone and undermines trust in the banking system,” Chase spokesman Drew Pusateri told CNN. “We are pursuing these cases and are actively working with law enforcement to ensure that anyone who defrauds Chase and its customers is held accountable.”

Chase added in the filing: “Chase takes its responsibility to combat fraud seriously and places a high priority on protecting the company and its customers to make the banking system more secure.” Part of that responsibility is holding people accountable when they commit fraud against Chase and its customers. Simply put, bank fraud is a crime.”