10 Police Reports In 11 Days: Robinhood's Offices Attacked By Angry Clients

Day trading app Robinhood has seen its offices face turmoil, as former clients gather to close accounts, withdraw money or even attack the building. The commotion comes as the Menlo Park, California-based company faces numerous lawsuits for freezing accounts during Gamestop's Reddit-fueled stock heights and as the government opens investigations into the company.

An inquiry by CNBC found 10 police reports between Jan. 28 and Feb. 9. They ranged from people trying to close accounts or contact customer service to men throwing animal feces at the door or trying to saw off part of the office’s outdoor statue.

Groups as large as 15 people protested outside the building after Robinhood froze certain transactions and people found they no longer had access to their money. CNBC found one man, kicking at the office door, and claiming he had $2 million dollars that the startup would not let him withdraw on an account it would not let him close.

“I have money in my Robinhood account that I need for living expenses,” said poker professional Rayz Rayl, who drove 2,400 miles to try and close his account. “My money is currently held hostage by Robinhood, I can’t get it out.”

Irate clients aren’t the only thing arriving on Robinhood’s doorstep: a slew of lawsuits have been launched by people alleging Robinhood won’t give them their money.

One in particular stems from a family who says Robinhood’s poor customer service cost their son his life. Alex Kearns killed himself while mistakenly believing he had accrued massive debt. A note left behind showed confusion over his balance, and he was unable to get answers from Robinhood’s customer service.

"If he had been able to get a hold of somebody...he would be alive today," his father Dan Kearns told CNN Business.

The government is also looking into Robinhood’s trading halts after an outcry from government officials. High-profile figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused it of gaming the markets, blocking small investors from taking actions that are normal for elite trading firms.

Now the company finds itself under investigation by multiple government agencies, including the Department of Justice and San Francisco’s U.S. attorney general, reports CNET.

As of August, Robinhood has roughly 13 million users.