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NEWS & CULTURE

How Millions of Americans Got Tricked Into Using a Bank That Isn’t a Bank

More Perfect Union | June 29, 2026



$100 million went missing from an online bank.

“Neobanks” promise higher rates and lower fees, but they exist in a regulatory black box created by Andreessen, Thiel, Musk and more.

We investigated an online bank where thousands of Americans’ FDIC-insured savings vanished.

Host & Producer: Sanya Dosani
Video Editor: Anthony Mascorro
Motion Designer: Tom Van Deusen
Videographers: Jack Belisle, Ryan Goble, Timothy Wolfer
Video Production Manager: Isabel Atalaya
Video Production Coordinator: Jodi Clemens
Video Production Fellow: Astrid Dong
Video Editing Fellow: Daria Nastasia
Supervising Producer: Brady Welch

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More Perfect Union is an Emmy-winning, nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to build power for working people. Here’s what that means: We report on the real struggles and challenges of the working class from a working-class perspective. We attempt to connect those problems to potential solutions. We report on the abuses and wrongdoing of corporate power. And we seek to hold accountable the ultra-rich who have too much power over America’s political and economic systems.

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Written by More Perfect Union

Comments

This post currently has 40 comments.

  1. @uzorick

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    Why are these FinTechs and there middlemen allowed to exist? Isn't this what CFPB was meant to protect con s umers from. Thanks to RepubliCONs congress that defanged CFPB

  2. @NoamPitlick-bg8kw

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    So what was the lure for all these people not using a traditional banking institution? So many high interest savings to chose from, Marcus, Capital One, Cit Bank, American Express, Barclays, Western Alliance, US Bank, etc.

  3. @searchforserenity8058

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    There is NO FREE MONEY in a neoliberal capitalist society. Wake up people. The Predators from Arkham run the show now. Protect yourself and educate, educate and educate yourself. This is your only protection.

  4. @MsVwB

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    But the question 🙋🏼 I keep asking is”WHO’S FOOLING WHO”?!??! Where’s the legality of it all. WHY AREN’T PEOPLE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT COLLECTIVELY HOW TO HOLD COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE!!!!! This wondering 💭 wants to know???

  5. @Chavabodhi

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    Thank you! I signed up for Cashapp and Venmo online last week and hadn't used either. Saw this video and tried to cancel them both online and Venmo said I had to contact them to cancel and cashapp didn't recognize my account I canceled my debit card, whew! 😮

  6. @cvcoco

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    This caused me to re-check something. I have accounts at Forbright Bank which is wholly FDIC, and Openbank which I re-read tonight is a fintech in partner with its parent, Santander Bank, which is wholly FDIC. Does this mean im safe or should i quickly close it? The account is held at Openbank which says on its website that its FDIC. Would FDIC say its not insured because its not held at Santander Bank?

  7. @Dogekk5C-o4o

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    You guys are going to get sued for claiming that Elon musk or Jeff bezos defrauded people. They literally had nothing to do with this yet showed their images. This YouTube channel is a propaganda front tbh. Good video but full of lies to push a narrative

  8. @ArlinaRegos

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    I had $1,000 on 10 Green Dot cards inside of a binder in my vehicle so that if my purse or phone wallet was lost or stolen I would have access to plenty of funds. Windows on my Suburban or busted out and 5 million in musical instruments and Ballroom gowns and music stands and gold jewelry specifically for this one show that I just got from a storage unit in Utah was stolen. The binder I had behind the passenger seat and of course all of the handmade items that I spent years creating for one specific person or also taken. So I thought I wouldn't have to spend the next 3 years 40 hours a week mind you trying to contact the bank but you are unable to contact them because the only way to speak to someone is by entering your debit card number. Tried every Avenue possible and did over 7 million internet searches on how I can speak with someone at Green Dot bank. My sister Anita in Iowa is the one who turned me on to Green Dot bank since for the most part for about 20 years she didn't have a bank account. I thought this would be a wonderful way to have extra debit cards and I always had at least 10 to 20,000 cards to give away to homeless people. So 3 years wasted not able to contact anyone to let them know that my debit cards were stolen from my vehicle so Green Dot Bank profited 10,000 Plus off of me. Moral of the story never have debit cards ever only have your cash on hand. Plus Social Security only allows you to have $100 total and your bank account before they cut you off. So they want you to have just $100 available in case you need to go to the emergency room or someone breaks your teeth during a surgical procedure obviously replacement of a tooth is 5,000. So if you have more than $100 in your bank account the US government will steal it out of your account. Mind you you only claimed it to examinations for 50 years of working two full-time jobs and saved all of your pay stubs in a binder which is in a storage that you cannot access because your vehicle is still not movable because someone keeps taking the battery out once you replace it. Never ever have more than $1,000 in a bank unless you want to kiss it goodbye. Lost $5,000 in my business account which was in an institution called F O U N D and was setting up the business and needed to pay the business license and the and website fees and it was gone as well.

  9. @macforme

    June 29, 2026 at 8:53 am

    I'll bet the ACH transfers were still working just fine GOING INTO THE BANK ACCOUNTS.
    And were they REALLY FDIC insured or just put it in the contract for good measure?
    The info on the screen at 4:58 should have sent investors running in the other direction.
    I, among many, do not read the contract cover to cover- but then I never heard of Yotta.

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