After viral 'Chase glitch,' JPMorgan sues customers over $661K in check fraud

(NEXSTAR) — Multiple lawsuits have been filed against those who partook in a viral trend earlier this year that purportedly provided them with "unlimited" money from certain ATMs.

Earlier this year, videos posted to social media showed people with large sums of cash they collected as part of a "glitch" with their Chase Bank accounts. Customers were able to deposit faulty checks into their accounts and then withdraw the cash before it was flagged as illegitimate.

It was not a glitch at all, the company said, but was “fraud, plain and simple.” Some customers quickly saw their fake funds retroactively withdrawn by Chase, sharing videos of their deep-in-debt accounts.

On Monday, JPMorgan Chase sued two individuals and two businesses, accusing them of illegally retaining more than $661,000 obtained with the "glitch," Reuters and Nexstar's NewsNation reported.

In one case, Chase argued a Houston man owes nearly $290,940 after withdrawing nearly all of a $335,000 check a masked man deposited into his account in late August. The check was rejected a few days later, court documents said.

The lawsuits call for the money to be returned, with interest and overdraft fees, the BBC reports. While JPMorgan has not said how many people, or how much money, was impacted by the viral trend, the Wall Street Journal reports there may have been thousands of potential instances of check fraud due to the glitch.

Check fraud is a federal crime, and JPMorgan said it is cooperating with law enforcement.

KRON's Phil Mayer contributed to this report.