Consumer complaint received 2023-06-30
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: MA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Virtual currency
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I was first contacted by XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. They offered me an interview for an internship. I wasn't suspicious at all because I had applied to around 20 internships in XXXX, so I thought this was just another company I had applied to. After the email, they told me to download and join XXXX XXXX in which we would communicate with each other. During my interview process, I was interviewed by someone named XXXX XXXX. After my text interview, I was told that I had been accepted for the position. They told me it would be a remote internship in which I would be paid {$25.00} an hour biweekly. At this point, I still wasn't suspicious because this seemed normal for an internship. Then, they sent me a form that I had to fill out to accept my offer for the internship. They stated that I would start my two weeks of training on XX/XX/XXXX. Then, they sent me a check for {$1800.00}, and they told me to deposit it in order to buy materials for the internship. They told me the money would be used for a computer. After the check was deposited, they told me to I had send XXXX XXXX the check money so she could get the specific computer that I needed, and I was told to send it in two amounts in order for it to process. I sent XXXX two payments, {$980.00} and {$880.00}. After I sent the two payments, they proceeded to send me another check stating that the money was going towards more materials. I didn't deposit the second check, and I decided to call the company, XXXX, the next day to confirm that this internship was real. After I called and confirmed that the internship was not real, I immediately called Bank of America in order to put a claim in. They transferred me to XXXX where I put my claim in for the wired transfers. After, they told me to be patient and the XXXX money would be transferred back into my bank. I told them that the check was more than likely fake, and that I needed to do something about that because I didn't want my account to be negative. The Bank of America representative told me the check went through, so I shouldn't worry about a negative balance or the bank taking back the check money ( even after I already transferred the money to XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, my account was - {$1700.00}. Then, I got an email saying that my claim was denied, they were unable to do anything about the scam and I had to pay the negative balance. I called Bank of America once again, and they said that they couldn't put a claim in for the check because the money was already back in the original person 's account. Now, I am stuck with a negative balance, and I do not have any other solution or option. I had all of the texts and emails starting from the email saying that I was accepted for an interview to the last day we talk. Please contact me if those documents are needed.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief