A couple in Danville, California were shocked to discover earlier this year that heirlooms they had stored in a safety deposit box at a Bank of America were missing. They were even more shocked when they found out that Bank of America had drilled open the box, removed the valuables and shipped them for holding in South Carolina.

When Unsa Kamal and her husband Aizad received a letter from Bank of America informing them their box had been drilled opened and emptied, they said they thought it was junk mail. But after carefully reviewing the letter, the Kamals said the bank in fact emptied their safe deposit due to lack of information.

“They claim they didn’t have Social Security numbers, which is not true,” Aizad Kamal said. When they open the account that’s something very basic they ask for and they have that.”

A local CBS affiliate Consumer Watch verified that the Kamal's had listed their correct Social Security numbers on their rental agreement with the bank, but Bank of America would not admit any wrongdoing.

BoA did agree to return the items, although they would not insure them for their full value, so the Kamal's hired an attorney to help them force the bank to insure the heirlooms -- some going back several generations -- for their full current replacement value. The bank now won't comment due to pending litigation.