Consumer complaint received 2023-04-29
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: TX
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I received a call on XX/XX/2023, claiming to be my bank. They said there was fraudulent activity on my card that was declined and wanted to confirm that with me. I told them it wasn't me. Before changing any of my information they needed to verify my identity. They then asked for my basic information, they were able to deposit a mobile check for {$10000.00} that I wasn't aware of, and they asked me to send out {$2400.00} to see it get declined until it went through. They said there was something wrong with their system and they would need to get back to me and hung up. About 20 minutes later I got another call from my bank 's phone number and they wanted to ask me about the check that was deposited. I told them I just got a call from them and I explained to them what happened. They told me that was a fraud call claiming to be them. They told me I will not be held accountable for any fraud that takes place and told me to change my information ASAP and they will get everything handled. The {$2400.00} that the scammers told me to send out was not taken out of my account until XX/XX/2023, which was 2 days after my bank knew of the fraud. The bank knew that the {$2400.00} that was going to be withdrawn from my account was fraud so why did they allow the money to be withdrawn from my account? They did issue a credit to me for the {$2400.00} while everything is investigated. 
Also, the check that was deposited into my account was actually for {$10000.00}. The scammers only deposited {$10000.00}. The bank then credited my account for the remaining {$330.00}. Again, they knew the check was a scam but still deposited the difference into my account. 
Furthermore, why was a hold not put on this check? My balance was well below that check amount so I believe the bank failed to follow their procedures on check holds. If they had put a hold on this check this would never have happened. 
Most importantly, the check was not even made payable to me. The scammers were able to deposit this check by mobile deposit into my account, then were able to scam me into transferring some of this money out. All the while the bank never noticed that the check was not payable to me, and no hold was placed on this check, and even deposited the remaining {$330.00} into my account. 
During this time that this was being investigated I called frequently to ask the status of that money in my account. My account was also frozen multiple times during this period. I was not able to withdraw money or make payments or purchases. I would call and be told the fraud department was looking at my account and it would be a few days. This happened several times within the last 2 months since this scam happened. One time that I called, the representative put me on hold and was talking to another colleague, I was told it was a real check and they contacted the other bank and they are just waiting to hear back from them. 
I received a letter at the beginning of XXXX that the {$2400.00} is not fraudulent because I authorized the transfer of that money with my face ID. After taking out the credit they locked my account because I was under the amount of the check so my money was in credit-only status. I had to call to unlock it multiple times and then the fraud department put a block on it so it can't be opened. One person I spoke to told me the check was in fact fraudulent and when it bounced I would be in a negative status. I have talked to over 20 different people at that bank each time is about 45 minutes to an hour and all they have is notes to go off of. The actual fraud department that looks over the cases and makes these decisions doesn't have a line to transfer to so I can not be transferred to anyone in that department. I put in another request for them to overrule their decision of me being at a loss with a XXXX, a XXXX XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX and she said it would take 3 business days and she could contact me back. I didn't hear back from her. On Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX I contacted her extension and left a message multiple times. I still have not heard back from her or anyone at the bank.

Company public response: Company believes complaint represents an opportunity for improvement to better serve consumers
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief