Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Announce it is suing on tuesday capital one Misled consumers about their savings account interest rates and “billed” them out of more than $2 billion in interest.

Capital One defrauded holders of its “360 Savings” accounts by confusing their “360 Savings” accounts with its newer and higher-yielding savings account option, the “360 Performance Savings” account, the agency said in a statement . The bank allegedly failed to notify 360 Savings account holders of the new option and marketed the two products in a similar manner to lead customers to believe they were the same.

However, the interest rates for the two options are significantly different, according to the CFPB. Capital One will increase the 360 ​​Performance Savings rate from 0.4% in April 2022 to 4.35% in January 2024, while lowering and freezing the 360 ​​Savings rate at 0.3% from late 2019 to mid-2024, the agency said.

The CFPB said the 360 ​​Savings Account was promoted as a high-interest savings account despite its relatively low interest rate. The bureau said Capital One aimed to keep 360 Savings users in the dark about higher-yield options by replacing all references to the account on its website with the similarly named 360 Performance Savings option and placing the account on hold. Someone is excluded from a marketing campaign touting higher yields. account, and prohibit employees from notifying account holders about 360 Performance Savings options.

“The CFPB is suing Capital One, alleging it defrauded families of billions of dollars in savings accounts,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a press release. To seduce people with promises.”

Capital One denied the allegations in a statement and said it was transparent in its marketing of the 360 ​​Performance Savings account.

“We are deeply disappointed that the CFPB is continuing its recent pattern of filing last-minute lawsuits before changes in administration. We strongly disagree with their assertions and will vigorously defend ourselves in court,” the company said in a statement.

The bank added that 360 Performance Savings products are “widely marketed on the simplest and most transparent terms in the industry, including on national television”.