Consumer complaint received 2023-08-14
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: OH
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
Attn : XXXX Bank Fraud I was Scam. XX/XX/XXXX Bank withdrawalXXXX scam. {$2500.00} XXXX charge to checking acct. {$1000.00} Scammed me a total of {$3500.00} Fake Papal purchase of {$1700.00} He had my name and my email due to the email I received supposedly from XXXX. 
He Evidently had my account number. 

The Scam of what happened- Checking acct- Bitcoin- XXXX I call XXXX XXXX fraud. I was so rattled so then went home and wrote everything down that happened. 

I received a message from XXXX of a charge for {$1700.00}. XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX. I didnt know what the product was, I never made this purchase. 
I called XXXX, number at the bottom of message to tell them I did not make this purchase. 
His Phone : XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX A man answered I explain the problem he said he could fix it. 

He asked me if I had XXXX. I said yes. He tried to use the account but it was denied. 

Then he tried XXXX XXXX, XXXX pay and XXXX. I didnt have any of these but he tried and I saw all were denied. 

He said that is ok. We can still get your money another way. 

Then he said you need to go to your bank now if you want your money back. 

I believed I was picking up the {$1700.00} I was getting back from the XXXX purchase that I didnt make. 

So I went in the bank, he stayed on the phone while I drove there. 

I told him I arrived at the bank, he said go in and withdrawal {$2500.00}. 

I said I dont think I have that much in my account. 

This is the first time I heard I was going to be taking money out of my account. 
XXXX XXXX started get worried. 

He said no he had just put {$2500.00} into my account. Never thought of how would he know my account to be making a deposit. 

So I did what I was told because I thought he put in the {$2500.00}. It was his money. Still trusting him. 

I am thinking now this must be how I gets my money back. But starting to get scared. 

Back in my car with the money, {$2500.00} and him on the phone he tells me to go to a specfic gas station. 

Again I follow his instructions. Still hoping he is honest with me. 

On phone he told me to go in and insert the {$2500.00} into a bitcoin machine. 

I went in. Didnt know what a bitcoin was but found it. 

Still on phone he instructs me on directions. 

I followed his direction on how to answer the questions on the screen. 

Not understanding at all what I am doing. Took me forever to find the place to put the money in. XXXX XXXX at a time. 

I told him I feel like this is a scam. He said no, what the people that charged you {$1700.00} was the bad people. He said he was helping me get my money. 

A receipt printed out of the machine which I have. ( I have enclosed the receipt from bitcoin ) So I drove home. Getting more and more scared of when do I get my XXXX. Still believing he put in my account his {$2500.00}. 

He told me to call when I got home. Because the money wasnt coming through. 

I called him when I arrived home and by now he said the money came through. 

He said I will call you in the morning. 

So after getting home and calling him, I go to my computer and look at my XXXX account. 

*I see NO deposit of {$2500.00} XXXX saw a withdrawal for {$2500.00} from my acct. Not HIS money. My money *Then I see a {$1000.00}. from XXXX withdrawal from my account. This was a total shock to me. How did this happen. First time I knew if this. Had no idea he was using XXXX, I had never used. 

*So now he has stolen a total of {$3500.00} from my account. I have {$50.00} left in my acct. 

I NEVER gave him my checking account information. He only had my name. Plus at the beginning I saw him denied of XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX pay. 

But I have been told by the company I work for fraud department that once I opened his email a scammer can access all my account info. They can wipe one out.

He has stolen {$2500.00} from my checking acct. and then an additional {$1000.00} he had XXXX charge me. I never gave him my bank account info. 

I did the bank withdrawal because he said he was getting my money back from the purchase I didnt make of {$1700.00}. Plus he told me he had put in {$2500.00}. So I didnt think it was my money. He said he was sending me to the bank because XXXX XXXX, XXXX pay, XXXX, XXXX. were all denied. 
I cant believe I fell for his story, except I did see the email that said I was charged XXXX by XXXX. 

He had to be in my account to see I had the {$2500.00}. I thought I had {$2200.00}. That is why I told him XXXX cant withdrawal {$2500.00}. That is when he told me he deposited {$2500.00} in my account. Big lie! 

He knew exactly what I had in the account. He had to be able to see my account. I never gave him my account numbers Nor any XXXX account. Because I never had used XXXX. 

I know it looks bad because I was the one that went in the bank to make the withdrawal. I truly believed he was helping me.I believed him when he told me he deposited his {$2500.00} into my account. I realize now how gullible I was. Never had any one lie to me like this. 

I called him that night no one answered. 
I sent a text- no answer Next morning sent another text. XXXX am Thurs.May XXXX, XXXX no answer Then I received a call from him in the afternoon on Thursday, XXXX He told me not to worry his XXXX would be calling me soon and money would be deposited for the {$3500.00} and the money that I was charged from XXXX for the item I never bought. Equals {$5200.00} No call from XXXX all day or night. 

Sent another text and call that night. No answer Friday, XX/XX/XXXX. Next day call and text - Nothing all day or night. 
NO money only the {$50.00} still in my account. 

Please I really need your help to get my money back. 

~I have the receipt from the bitcoin machine. 

XXXX thought I had the email I received about the purchase supposedly from XXXX but it must have been take off the screen now because I didnt delete it and it is gone. 

~I do have the telephone number he was calling me on. 
Phone : XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX ~Case number he gave me : XXXX - Bitcoin receipt of transaction for {$2500.00} evidently was sent to him Please help!! Any more questions please contact me or text or email me if phone call doesnt go thru. My phone only rings for my contacts. Leave your number and I will call back. 

I have cancelled my bank account. New bank new account. 

Now I am filing a scam/fraud claim with the XXXX Department XXXX 

From XXXX XXXX Email : XXXX Phone : XXXX XXXX XXXX Address XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Ohio XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation