Walmart illegally opened costly deposit accounts for one million delivery drivers, lawsuit claims
CBSN
More than one million delivery drivers collectively paid more than $10 million in fees after Walmart and Branch Messenger illegally opened costly deposit accounts in their names without consent, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday against the retailer and payments platform.
The federal agency claims drivers were forced to use the accounts to get paid and were deceived about how to access their earnings, with Walmart threatening to fire workers who did not comply. Drivers had to follow a complicated process to get their pay, and then faced further delays or fees if they needed to transfer the money into another account.
As a result, workers forked over more than $10 million in fees to transfer their earnings into accounts of their choosing, the CFPB claims.
