A woman is going viral on TikTok after sharing the nightmare scenario of having her Bank of America account completely drained—and how she found out.
Sierra (@curlyheadsierraaa), a Florida-based content creator, said it all started when she tried to buy a drink at Wawa, but her card was declined. Confused, she checked her account, confident she had money in it. That’s when she discovered the real problem: Her entire balance was gone.
In a recent TikTok clip, Sierra broke down what happened and whether she has any shot at getting the money back. However, so far, things aren’t looking good. As of Sunday, her video had racked up over 1.1 million views.
What happened?
Sierra said she learned at Wawa that “all [her] money” had been drained—and she wasn’t exaggerating. Her Bank of America account balance was a flat $0.00.
When she called the bank, she found out why. Bank of America was suing her over a debt she owed. The kicker? Sierra said she had no idea—she was never served and hadn’t received any paperwork.
However, according to the rep she spoke with, it was legal in Florida to drain her account without notice until the debt was paid off.
“If I had known this was going to happen, I obviously would’ve paid it,” she said. “I didn’t freaking know.”
Bank of America told her the money was gone—and any future deposits would be taken, too. Her options were as follows: pay the debt in full or set up a payment plan.
“I have to laugh about it because if not I will literally cry about it,” she said.
In the caption of her clip, she doubled down on her disappointment with the situation, writing, “Trying to avoid a crash out as we speak.”
And it doesn’t seem like things have improved since the content creator’s initial clip. In a follow-up video, Sierra added that switching banks wouldn’t help her situation.
“I could bank with Chase or whoever,” she said. “As long as I have an account in my name, it will continue taking out all my money until everything is cleared.”
Some viewers say this isn’t legal. Is it?
Unfortunately, it is legal—at least in Florida. According to Alper Law, creditors can garnish your bank account to collect on a debt if they’ve obtained a court judgment and followed the proper legal steps.
That appears to be exactly what happened in Sierra’s case. While she says she was never served, Bank of America claimed otherwise—and once a court approves the garnishment, the creditor can legally drain your account until the debt is paid off.
What’s worse is that creditors aren’t required to give you a heads-up.
“A judgment creditor does not need to tell you in advance that it intends to garnish your bank account,” the law firm notes. “If a creditor were required to give a debtor advanced notice… the debtor would have the opportunity to empty the account.”
It’s unclear how long this ordeal will last for Sierra. She hasn’t said how much money was taken or how much she still owes—and given the circumstances, that’s probably the least of her worries.
@curlyheadsierraaa Trying to avoid a crash out as we speak…🫠🥲
Viewers share how this could happen to you
In the comments under Sierra’s original video, several self-identified bank and collections workers chimed in. They explained how easily customers can end up in situations like this.
“I [have worked] for a collections agency for the last 20 years and at our company we freeze the account then you call and you make a payment plan and we release the funds,” one woman shared.
“I worked for a debt collections law firm,” another said. “This is legal, however, if you weren’t actually served you can fight against it.”
“This happened when I co-signed on a car with my ex,” a third viewer added. “We banked at the same place as the loan. They wiped me CLEAN. Never bank where you borrow money.”
Others encouraged Sierra to take legal action, though the content creator expressed doubt she could afford a lawyer.
“And during a recession? Girl sue!!” one TikToker encouraged.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing. I don’t think they can do that. That doesn’t sound right,” another added.
“That sounds sketchy, I would get a lawyer ASAP!!! This is definitely NOT your fault!” a third woman wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sierra via TikTok comment and to Bank of America through email.
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The post ‘Trying to avoid a crash out’: Woman tries to pay at Wawa with her card. Then she checks her Bank of America account appeared first on The Daily Dot.