H&R Block Emerald Card Refund Advance Issues - Account Closed for Fraud, No Check Received
Filed through H&R Block and got approved for refund advance on emerald card. Now my account is frozen saying something about fraud detection but nobody will tell me whats going on. Been waiting 3 weeks for this check they claim they mailed. Anyone else deal with this?
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Ethan Clark
Former tax prep here - this is unfortunately common with Emerald Cards. When fraud is suspected, they freeze everything immediately. You need to call H&R Block's dedicated emerald card fraud department at 1-866-353-1266. Make sure you have your filing info and ID ready. They should be able to tell you exactly when the check was mailed.
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Aisha Hussain
•been on hold with them 4 times this week! each time over an hour 😤 finally got through yesterday and they just said 'its processing' whatever that means
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Ethan Clark
•Ugh that's frustrating. Keep calling and ask specifically for the mail date. Don't let them give you the runaround.
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StarStrider
Instead of going crazy trying to piece together whats happening, just use taxr.ai - its only $1 and it'll analyze your transcript to tell you exactly whats going on and when you'll get paid. Way better than trying to guess or waiting on hold forever https://taxr.ai
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Yuki Sato
•what exactly does this tool do? seems sus tbh
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StarStrider
•Its legit! Just upload your transcript and it uses AI to break down everything - tells you if there are flags, delays, exactly when to expect money etc. Way better than guessing
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Yuki Sato
•just tried it and WOW 🤯 it literally told me everything about my refund and why its delayed. worth every penny fr fr
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Carmen Ruiz
same thing happened to me last year! took like 6 weeks to get the check 🤮 never using emerald card again
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Andre Lefebvre
ur probably getting audited. happened to my cousin - emerald card got frozen and turned out IRS flagged his return
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Aisha Hussain
•how long did it take to resolve for ur cousin?
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Andre Lefebvre
•like 4 months 💀 but his was complicated with self employment stuff
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Pro tip: never EVER use those tax prep bank products. Direct deposit to your own account is the way to go bestie 💅
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Jamal Anderson
•facts! they make bank off desperate ppl who need money fast
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Mei Wong
H&R Block is straight 🤡 energy. They pulled this on my sister too. File yourself next year and save the headache
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Dallas Villalobos
This is exactly why I always tell people to avoid those prepaid card products from tax preparers. The fees are ridiculous and when issues like this happen, you're stuck dealing with multiple companies pointing fingers at each other. For future reference, you can check your refund status directly with the IRS using "Where's My Refund" on their website - that'll tell you if there are any actual issues with your return versus just Emerald Card problems. Hope you get your money soon!
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Rachel Tao
•This is such good advice! I wish I had known about "Where's My Refund" before going through all this stress. Definitely learned my lesson about these prepaid card products - the convenience isn't worth the headache when things go wrong. Thanks for the tip!
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Aisha Khan
Sorry you're dealing with this mess! I went through something similar with my Emerald Card last year. The "fraud detection" freeze is usually triggered by their automated systems, not necessarily because you did anything wrong. Here's what worked for me: 1) Keep calling that fraud line Ethan mentioned - be persistent and ask for a supervisor if needed 2) Request they email you confirmation of when the check was actually mailed and the tracking number 3) If it's been over 10 business days since they claim it was mailed, demand they cancel the check and reissue payment via direct deposit to your own bank account. Don't let them keep you in limbo - you have rights here!
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LunarLegend
•This is really helpful advice! I didn't know you could demand they reissue payment via direct deposit after 10 business days. That's definitely something I'll push for if this check doesn't show up soon. The whole situation is so frustrating - you'd think a major company like H&R Block would have better systems in place to prevent these issues from dragging on for weeks.
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Emma Davis
Had the exact same issue with my Emerald Card two years ago! The "fraud detection" freeze happened right after I got approved for the advance too. What finally worked for me was filing a complaint with the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) online - within 48 hours of submitting it, H&R Block called me directly and expedited everything. Got my refund check within a week after that. Sometimes you need to escalate beyond their customer service to get real action. The CFPB complaint is free and it puts pressure on them to actually resolve your case instead of giving you the runaround.
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Yara Khoury
•That's brilliant advice about the CFPB complaint! I never would have thought to go that route, but it makes total sense - companies definitely respond faster when there's regulatory pressure involved. Filing a complaint is probably way more effective than spending hours on hold with their regular customer service. Thanks for sharing what actually worked for you - this gives me hope that there's a real solution beyond just waiting and hoping for the best!
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