This also sounds fishy to me. Usually, when requesting funds from a CD or other investment, you need to fill out more paperwork than just a letter of request. And most places I work with require a form with an original signature, not a fax, especially with this amount of money. (Note: I work in financial services and have dealt with money withdrawals many times, so I'm drawing on my own personal experience.)

I'm wondering if the person you originally spoke to gave you the wrong information on what you needed to provide. I agree they should be a heck of a lot more helpful, instead of shrugging their shoulders and saying, "I dunno", especially with $80k at stake.

As someone suggested below, I'd try your local branch and see if you can get better information. At any rate, I do hope you get this resolved.