Walmart Forced a Million Workers to Use Bank Accounts with Expensive 'Junk Fees' to Receive Paycheck or Risk Losing Job: Lawsuit

Walmart has supposedly been forcing delivery drivers to access payment through Branch since 2021, opening accounts for the drivers without their consent using personal information such as their Social Security Numbers. (Credit: Getty Images)

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against U.S. retailer Walmart and financial services company Branch after it was reported that the former unlawfully opened Branch accounts with expensive deposit fees on behalf of its employees.

The CFPB alleges that Walmart forced its delivery drivers to use Branch accounts to access their paychecks, threatening to terminate employees who wouldn't comply with the fintech company's requirements, including its expensive service fees. Users were forced to pay fees just to transfer their paychecks into their own accounts, reported CBS News.