JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville woman sued VyStar Credit Union on Aug. 14, alleging the credit union failed to investigate and reimburse about $42,000 stolen from her accounts after fraudsters impersonated the bank and obtained her debit card, according to the lawsuit.
Mary E. Maier’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, said unknown persons gained unauthorized access to her online banking on Nov. 13, 2025, changed her password and later contacted her by phone posing as VyStar representatives. The callers told her to surrender her debit card to a courier, the complaint says, and the card was collected.
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Between Nov. 13 and Nov. 20, 2025, the complaint alleges, the fraudsters drained roughly $42,000 from Maier’s checking, money market and savings accounts through a series of internal transfers, ATM withdrawals and retail purchases across Jacksonville and South Florida.
The suit lists hundreds- and thousands-of-dollar purchases at Best Buy, Target, Apple Store, GameStop and several high-end retailers, plus multiple ATM cash withdrawals in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Maier says the pattern of transactions was inconsistent with her normal account usage and that she was in Jacksonville throughout.
The complaint says VyStar’s internal records show an unauthorized device accessed Maier’s accounts at about 1:06 p.m. on Nov. 13 — hours before the impersonation call — and that her online password was changed without her knowledge.
Maier’s lawyers allege VyStar disabled security controls for marketing reasons and failed to apply fraud alerts that should have locked the accounts.
Maier reported the activity to VyStar on Nov. 20, 2025. The suit said VyStar denied her error claim, telling her the losses occurred because she gave her debit card and shared account information. The complaint alleges VyStar never provided the written explanation required under federal rules, refused to supply documents Maier requested, gave a provisional credit for less than the disputed amount and later blocked access to that credit.
The suit also said Maier sent a second notice of error and a formal document request by certified mail in June 2026, which VyStar received, but that the credit union failed to investigate or respond within the time required by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and its implementing Regulation E.
Maier is seeking actual and statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and treble damages under the federal EFTA. The complaint notes the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Division has an open criminal investigation into Maier’s case and other similar cases involving VyStar customers and that suspects have been identified.
News4JAX reached out to VyStar for a statement and is waiting for a response.