Consumer complaint received 2018-07-26
Company: RIA FINANCIAL
State: MI
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I recently lost {$1800.00} to a puppy scam. I first sent the puppy cost {$600.00} in XXXX to XXXX XXXX [ XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX TX XXXX. She said to say I was sending it to a friend or it will cost more. I was never asked who or why I was sending {$600.00}. The next was also a XXXX of {$1200.00} to XXXX XXXX in XXXX, Texas XXXX. About 3.5 hours later I returned to XXXX XXXX XXXX because I was told that their cashier was out and could not pick it up. I was to send it via XXXX XXXX. I did. This did not work so I would have to send it to another person in GA. I was never asked why and nothing was said about fraud. I was not asked if this was business or personal. I returned to XXXX less than a half hour later, upset. XXXX would not return my money. The clerk at the desk said that my account was " flagged ''. He/She [ I could not determine his/her gender ] never said why. I called XXXX on my phone to get it released. They did not say why it was flagged and they wouldn't release it. I had to have a clerk to this. I went back to the desk. The clerk said that he/she isn't supposed to do that. He/She called and talked to XXXX. His/her supervisor showed up and approved the call. They released my money - and never said why it was flagged. Looking back, I believe that the XXXX n TX was aware of a scam and that is why it wasn't " picked up ''. I then paid the exact amount of money to a different person in a different state in a XXXX transaction. I was never asked why. In retrospect, thesis would be signs of a scam that those providing the money services should well be aware of and provided information on identifying such as scam. No one ever said a word. The money was then sent XXXX to XXXX XXXX in XXXX, GA. The money was for a cooling kennel since it was so hot to fly them. We were worried that she would be stuck in the GA airport. After that, we received notice to send more money to cover vet bills. We knew at that there was no puppy. 

According to the FTC settlement of XX/XX/2009 there were certain protections that were to be in place to prevent this. Obviously, some were as the initial transaction of {$1200.00} was flagged. Unfortunately, after that, there was nothing. The warning of fraud is not very visible on the form used - you fill out the middle of the form. The warning, on the front, is written in small text [ white with blue background ] taking about1/6 of the page and is smaller that the warning written in XXXX. I can not read small print. 

If the customer service that provides XXXX and XXXX XXXX at XXXX were appropriately trained, they would have been aware of the now glaring indications of fraud. I would have been stopped and warned. I am very disappointed in XXXX and XXXX XXXX for not taking responsibility of their involvement in this incident. I fully expect that they will make things right by returning the money I lost [ {$600.00} + {$1200.00} ]. They did flag the account and said nothing to me or the clerk. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX - Ref # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX TX - Ref # # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX TX Ref # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, GA Ref # XXXX I was emotionally involved after unexpectedly loosing our dog. We were also very concerned about the pup being stuck in the airport with the heat - you hear stories of them XXXX all the time. I take responsibility for being fooled initially but if the clerks handling the money transfers had done their job in seeing and identifying marks of a scam had spoken to me - including why the money was not picked up in TX or was flagged, I would not have lost the total amount. I also understand fully why people do not report being scammed. 

I fully expect that they reimburse me my lost money because without XXXX in our town, I would not have been able to send the money and lost it via their service. 

Respectfully, XXXX XXXX XXXX

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 explanation