Great Falls Resident Loses Over $1,100 Amidst Missed Fraud Reporting Deadline

Great Falls, MT, September 21, 2026 —

A resident of Great Falls has incurred a financial loss exceeding $1,100 due to unauthorized bank charges. The situation arose after the individual missed a critical deadline for reporting the fraudulent activity to their bank, a timeframe mandated by federal law.

Federal regulations typically require consumers to report unauthorized electronic fund transfers to their financial institution within 60 days of the statement date on which the first unauthorized transaction appears. Failure to adhere to this timeline can significantly impact a customer’s ability to recover stolen funds.

In this case, the woman in Great Falls did not report the unauthorized charges within the stipulated 60-day period. As a result, the bank was only able to process reimbursements for fraudulent transactions that occurred within the past two months leading up to the report. The charges that predated this two-month window, totaling more than $1,100, were deemed ineligible for reimbursement, leaving the customer responsible for these earlier fraudulent transactions.

The specific name of the bank involved, the exact dates of the fraudulent transactions, and the precise federal law that governs the reporting window were not provided. This incident highlights the importance of promptly reviewing bank statements and reporting any suspicious or unauthorized activity to financial institutions to comply with federal consumer protection guidelines.

Consumers are advised to be vigilant in monitoring their accounts and to familiarize themselves with their bank’s policies and federal regulations concerning fraud reporting. The bank’s reimbursement policy is generally governed by laws such as the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), which outlines consumer liability for unauthorized electronic transfers.

Story summarized from the original created by John Matarese on www.krtv.com, see more information here.