Consumer complaint received 2020-08-13
Company: Square Inc
State: PA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On Saturday, XX/XX/2020 I received a call from a number in Florida which I answered. The recorded message indicated that it was Cash App Fraud Department but the line then disconnected. I called the number back and a representative named XXXX answered. He explained that my account may have been compromised and that he needed to do a few checks to be sure my account was okay. He somehow already knew my Cash App cashtag so nothing seemed off to me. He told me in order to do the check I needed to download an app called XXXX XXXX which would allow him to share my screen and be sure my account was okay. I did this and my account opened on my phone. He then looked through settings and kept putting me on hold then he came back and asked me to transfer {$250.00} from my linked XXXX XXXX  account to my Cash App. I tried and it would not work. He had me try several times until he said we would need to do it another way to make it work. He said I had to use the " Pay Friends '' feature on my Chime account to do the transfer to a dummy account and the money would then immediately be put into my Cash App Account. I did the transfer which he gave me the information for the so called Dummy Account which came up as XXXX. As soon as the transfer of {$250.00} was done the line disconnected. I checked my Cash App and the money was not there. I started to panic immediately but the Hawaii number XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX called me right back and it was the same person. He told me to relax because at this point I was screaming at him to put my money back. Then before I knew what was happening a transfer of {$140.00} was showing up in my XXXX Account then another transfer for {$500.00} another for {$1000.00} and another for {$100.00}. As this was happening with all transfers going to XXXX I was screaming at him to put my money back. He transferred me to XXXX XXXX who said he was the Fraud Department Manager for Cash App and that he was trying to fix the mistake and put the {$1900.00} back in my account and that he would add additional funds for my trouble. I told him NO I just want my money back NOW! He claimed he tried to put the money back but was not able to. He then demanded that I give him my other bank ( XXXX XXXX ) account information - which I refused to do. He then said I was defaulting on my money because I was refusing to give him the XXXX XXXX information. He then hung up on me. He called back several hours later after I kept calling the Hawaii number and offered to again put the money in the XXXX XXXX account. I believe that he somehow got into that account and saw that my kids college money account ( money for XXXX kids to go to college ) had a significant amount of money in it and wanted that account information but did not realize that the account is not in my name and I have no access to it. He then hung up on me again and I tried calling until the number was then disconnected. I filed a fraud and stolen money dispute with my bank XXXX who has denied me getting any of my money back saying that no error had occurred. Which I don't understand because I did not authorize any transfers to this XXXX ( I do not even know that name ) and it was clear at this point it was a scam. I have also contacted Cash App but have yet to hear back from them although I don't think there is anything they can do as the money was never put in my Cash App account. This was all the money I had to pay my bills and feed my kids and these people just took it away. I don't understand how XXXX can deny that a scam/fraud has occurred and refuse to give me my funds back. This seemed completely legit and I did not authorize them taking my money! Several hours later I received a deposit in my Cash App from a XXXX XXXX for {$480.00} ( for Dummy ) it said then about a minute later there was a transaction to XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$470.00} to which he replied with a heart. Neither of these was authorized by me as I don't know either of these people and don't know how they sent money and paid it out without my phone app? It was at this point I reset my phone because it was clear that they still had control of my phone. I think the only thing that stopped them was that I use Face ID instead of passwords. I don't know who to go to or how to stop these people. They have clearly done this to more than just me. There was no indication that they were not who they said they were until it was too late. At this point it seems I will not get my money back from my bank ( XXXX  ) which just baffles me because I have all the information and documents proving this was a scam.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation