Consumer complaint received 2019-09-04
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, NJ XXXX XXXX XXXX, Treasurer XXXX ( H ) XXXX ( O ) XX/XX/2019, I received the first of several emails from someone fraudulently posing as President of our club, XXXX XXXX. 

XX/XX/2019 Received another fraudulent email from the person posing as club President, XXXX XXXX, requesting I mail a check ( # XXXX ) made payable to XXXX XXXX, Address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Washington, DC, XXXX in the amount of {$750.00}. 

XX/XX/2019 mailed check # XXXX for {$750.00} to the person and at the address stated in the XX/XX/XXXX email. 

XX/XX/2019, Saturday, As soon as I spoke to XXXX XXXX, the real President of our club, I found out he was not the one that was recently emailing me. I immediately called the main number at PNC Bank to stop payment on the check but was told the check was cashed the day before on Friday. I asked how could they cash it, doesn't it have to be cleared. They said it was cashed at a local PNC branch. I told them to freeze our bank account. The bank said to wait a couple of days and then contact my local PNC Bank branch. 

XX/XX/2019 Tuesday, I called the local PNC Bank branch and told them a Fraud was committed and wanted them to open up a fraudulent case. I spoke with XXXX, the local PNC Bank branch rep, and told her I had requested this past Saturday that our account be frozen and that I would open up a new account but wanted her to start a fraud investigation. XXXX said our account was not frozen but only a note was put on it that I called. I immediately told her to freeze our account and scheduled an appointment for Friday, XX/XX/XXXX. She said only the local branch can freeze an account and I should not have been told that it was frozen but it was now frozen but for some unknown reason it would not be closed out. 

XX/XX/2019, I received another email from the person who was posing as the President of our club, XXXX XXXX, and without opening the email I could see on the subject line that they were requesting another payment by check. It was then that I contacted the local XXXX police department in the town where my business office is located and the place where the fraud was committed. Patrolman ( PTL ) XXXX, Badge # XXXX responded. I gave him copies of the email correspondence between me and the person posing as the president of our club. With PTL XXXX present, I opened the next email from the fraudster and it was requesting an additional {$5500.00} be mailed to same person and same address. PTL XXXX said to see if we can stall them by saying that I was on vacation and would not be back until the following Monday. PTL XXXX asked me to contact PNC Bank to request a copy of the cancelled check. Both PTL XXXX and I spoke to XXXX and requested that she email me a copy of the canceled check. She said she couldnt because it had bank account information on it but then PTL XXXX reminded her by saying what does it matter since the account is now frozen. XXXX then agreed to email the check. PTL XXXX then opened up case number XXXX, said he will turn this case over to the XXXX detectives and left my office. Later that afternoon, XXXX emailed a copy of the canceled check and it was then that it was discovered that our check was not cashed but was " For Deposit Only XXXX '' - XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Apparently it was not cashed at a PNC branch bank as I was initially told. I emailed a copy of the canceled check to PTL XXXX. Later that evening PTL XXXX called me at home and said he discovered that the payee of the check, XXXX XXXX, was listed as one of four residents at the address where the check was mailed. We now had the bank account that the check was deposited along with the persons name and address. I XXXX the address the check was mailed to and called a local XXXX   bank branch located within 10 minutes of the address trying to get them to put a hold on the account but they refused. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I met with XXXX at the XXXX XXXX PNC Bank, closed our account, opened a new account, gave her copies of the fraud email correspondence, the police report case number and asked her to file a fraud complaint in the hopes of getting our money back. 
I received another fraudulent email and forwarded the email to PTL XXXX and that I had filed a fraud complaint with PNC bank. Also stated that I have not heard from anyone at the XXXX Police Dept. He could not answer for the detective bureau because he stated that they will respond based upon their workload and recommended that I not to entertain anymore emails. 

XX/XX/XXXX, Received another fraudulent email asking if I had returned. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I received two letters from PNC Bank, one dated XX/XX/2019 and the other XX/XX/2019 stating that our Service Request was denied. I called the number in the letter ( XXXX ) and spoke with a Mr. XXXX, I explained about the fraud and mailing out the check in error. He said a service request was filed not a fraud investigation. In disbelief I could not imagine how only a service request was filed as opposed to a fraud investigation. I explained the events to Mr. XXXX, asked if I could email him the correspondence I had received to date about the fraud and he said he did not have an email address and I could not sent it to him. I told him I gave XXXX at my local PNC branch copies of the emails and that I wanted to open a fraud investigation. He assured me he would start one. I called my local PNC Branch asking for XXXX to find out why only a service request was initiated but she was on vacation and would not be back until XX/XX/XXXX. I spoke to the branch manager, Mr. XXXX who researched the case and said a fraud investigation was ongoing and was assigned to a person named XXXX. He said if I didnt get a phone call this week, to call back on XX/XX/XXXX when XXXX returns and I can speak to both of them. 

XX/XX/XXXX, Received an email from a club member forwarding another fraudulent email from the Fraud XXXX XXXX requesting gift cards from our members. That club member was present on Saturday when we found out about the fraud so he forwarded the fraud email to all members telling them it was a scam. I forwarded that email to PTL XXXX. 
Received an email from the same Fraud XXXX XXXX requesting my assistance. Did not respond to it. 

XX/XX/XXXX, Received a letter from PNC Bank, dated XX/XX/2019, stating if I believed the check was fraudulently   negotiated to please visit my local PNC Branch. This letter included a copy of the cashed check along with the routing number, posting sequence, and other bank information. 

XX/XX/XXXX, made an appointment at my local PNC Branch at XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation