Consumer complaint received 2019-08-22
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
So about a month ago my XXXX '' XXXX XXXX broke, and since I did not want to simply throw it away I figured " why not sell this item on XXXX and try to get some money? '' I then posted the tv on XXXX for about a month, and then right when I was losing hope an XXXX user by the name of XXXX messaged me saying " Is your listed XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX LED TV ( XXXX Model ) still up for sale?? If yes i'm offering you {$370.00} for it. From your phone please send only the XXXX Item Number " number not here for privacy '' to XXXX just to follow up with me if my offer is cool with you. Thanks, Await to hear from you soon there. '' Happy to finally get a response for my listing, I then proceeded to text this person at the number listed about, and within an hour he replied. The phone conversation goes as follows : XX/XX/XXXX Me ( XXXX ) : " Hello, this is ( my name ), the person who listed the broken XXXX XXXX '' XXXX XXXX XXXX ) : " Thanks for accepting my offer, Please permit me to pay through check because my XXXX was unable to find solution to the problem. To ease up this transaction i can assure you 100 % of getting the payment within the next 24-48 hours. All i need right now is your Full name, Amount and Full Mailing Address to overnight the payment and get back to you with the USPS tracking # shortly. Await your response. XXXX '' Me ( XXXX ) : Sure thing, however before I give you my name and address I need to let you know that I wont be home for a while. Is that okay with you? 

XXXX ( XXXX ) : Okay I agree. All I need right now is your Full name, Amount and Full Mailing Address to overnight the payment and get gback to you with the USPS tracking # shortly. Await your response. XXXX I then give him my name and address. He then asks to confirm my name and address and I confirm that they are correct. Then : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Ok, we have a deal and I will overnight a check to you via USPS Priority Mail so that you can receive it in the next 24-48 hours and will get back to you with the tracking details. My mover will be coming over for the pick up immediately you notify me that the check has cleared by your bank so no shipping is involved. The check will include the money that will be paid to the mover picking up from you once payment clears. 

Then I confirm that Ill tell him when I get back to my house so the movers can come pick it up. 

XX/XX/XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX he then gets back to me : XXXX ( XXXX ) : I just got back from the post office to send the payment and here is the tracking number ( tracking # here ) of the payment. Await your response to acknowledge to me that you got this message. XXXX XXXX. 

I confirm and tell him when Ill return so I can ship the tv to his place. He follows : XXXX ( XXXX ) : I understand that you can easily ship it to me but I want it to be picked up because I also have some other valuable items which were recently purchase and they will need to pick them up prior to coming to your place for the pick up. Moreover the mover will only sopt by and pick up at any public place of your choice to reduce your stress as well so no shipping. 

I then say that makes sense and say that I will follow up with him soon. Note that this whole conversation took place through his number XXXX, and I did notice his slightly broken English but I thought nothing of it at the time. 

XX/XX/XXXX I get a message from a different number, XXXX, but it turns out it is from XXXX. He says : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Hello ( my name ), its me XXXX once again I got a notification that the check has been delivered to you while rushing my pregnant wife to the hospital, My phone screen got broken on the way thats why Im messaging you with her phone. Please check your Mail box and get back to me to confirm it shortly, I will appreciate your swift response to confirm to me that you got this message. XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) thanks. 

I follow by saying Ill check my mailbox, and congratulate him on becoming a father. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX follows up to my previous message with : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Hi XXXX XXXX XXXX How was your day? I guess its fine. Your swift response to confirm to me that the check has been deposited or cleared will make me feel comfortable as Im here looking forward to hear from you since but no response from you. Please acknowledge this message to ease up this transaction. Regards XXXX XXXX, that response about being a parent was a bit rude, but I tell Ill let him know about the check. Then, when I finally arrive home on that same day I check my mailbox and the check he sent was inside. I tell him I received it, but when I see the {$1800.00} slapped on the check I am a bit suspicious. I say : Me ( XXXX ) : I just got home and received the check. Quick question, why is the check {$1800.00}? I thought we only agreed on {$370.00}. I havent deposited it yet so I can tear it up or return it if youd like. 

XXXX ( XXXX ) : {$1400.00} is the movers fee been added to the payment like I said earlier. You are meant to deduct additional # 30 for your run around expenses/inconvenience and send the rest to the mover through the means of payment they suggest shortly after the check clears so that the pick up can be arrangement scheduled. Also the issuing bank assured that the check will be cleared shortly after deposit due to the fact that they are aware of this transaction urgency. I will suggest you should deposit the check using your mobile/online banking app or at the nearest ATM just to reduce your stress going to the bank .Your swift response will be appreciated to confirm to me that you understand this message. XXXX XXXX. 

I sadly buy his excuse, and deposit the check. 

XX/XX/XXXX At least he wasnt lying about the quick transaction speed, since the check was cleared the very next day. I tell him this and he follows : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Please send the money through XXXX XXXX this both information, Moving Companies Detail : -Name : XXXX XXXX Address XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX ( Amount {$710.00} ) and DriversDetails : -Name : XXXX XXXX Address XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX ( Amount {$660.00} ). The transfer charges for both transaction at the XXXX will cost {$30.00} making {$1400.00} all together. Moving company instruct that the money should be send to their office and to the driver coming as well. 

He then messages again frantically since I didnt respond very fast : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Are you there ( my name )?? Please acknowledge to me that you got my previous messages. 

I tell him that yes, I got the messages and that I will be going to money gram to send the money. I didnt think much about his desperation at the time, mainly because I thought Well a stranger just deposited an {$1800.00} check so even I would be anxious if I did the same thing. Ill make sure to send him the money asap so he doesnt think Im am trying to steal HIS money. 

I walk to the nearest money gram and he keeps pestering me Are you almost done with the transaction?? ( XXXX ). I then tell him that I tried to use money gram but they only accept cash, and I wasnt about to withdraw that much cash especially since I dont have that high a limit. He insists XXXX ( XXXX ) : Can you purchase XXXX gift cards at the store or XXXX where you are?? 

This is where I became extremely suspicious. How in the world would that be a reliable way to send money? I then proceed to tell him Do you have a way to transfer the money directly to them ( the movers and driver )? Like for instance quickpay with XXXX. Actually wouldnt it be better if you sent them the money yourself? Do you have an email so I can just send you the money back through XXXX? ( XXXX ) He responds : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Yes XXXX is better. 
This is where I dug my own grave, thinking that this was an honest person. I continue : Me ( XXXX ) : Honestly not sure why I have to send them the money, it probably would have made more sense for you to do it since they are working for you. If you have their emails then I should be able to send it directly to them. If you dont then Ill send you the rest of the money back except the money for the tv so then you can pay them. 

XXXX ( XXXX ) : Due to the delay in sending the payment the money to the previous mover they has been send to another location and provide another movers to take charge of the pick up, Here is the XXXX information of the new mover Name : XXXX XXXX XXXX Email : XXXX. 

I then ask if I should give them the {$710.00} amount ( XXXX ). He replies : XXXX ( XXXX ) : With due respect, All is set to complete this transaction, Send the money to this XXXX email XXXX of the new mover ( XXXX XXXX ). Just {$1400.00}. Please confirm to me that you got the email. 

I confirm I will send the money ( XXXX ) one of the biggest mistakes of my life. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : {$1400.00} is meant to send at once to XXXX just to process the pick-up arrangement in other the pick to commence within 24-48 hours. Please send me the picture of the confirmation page that shows that the {$1400.00} is been send once its done shortly. ( Two minutes later ) Awaiting your response. 

I tell him that I just sent it through my Chase account ( XXXX ), and he tells me : XXXX ( XXXX ) : You can send it ( he means the confirmation ) here or into my email XXXX I finally print a confirmation email ( XXXX ) of the transaction and email it to him. He follows : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Got it I will forward it to the mover and keep you posted regarding the progress shortly Please stay tuned. 

Me ( XXXX ) : Okay. Also, just so you know, Ill only be in this area for another week so have them come down asap. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX ) : Are you there?? 

Me ( XXXX ) : Yes XXXX ( XXXX ) : I got a message right now from my business associate that Im buying the item for saying he doesnt need it anymore. Please re-list back the item on XXXX and deduct {$50.00} for the stress I made you go through on this transaction. Kindly send just {$350.00} once again through XXXX to XXXX so as to send to my business associate as compensation because I thought he can buy the item at his present location but he confirm to me he has it already. Please let me know if you understand this message. 

I thought to myself darn, I was looking forward to selling my TV, but oh well. At least he is giving me {$50.00} anyways for the inconvenience. What a nice guy! I then send him the rest of the money ( XXXX ) he requested and he follows with : XXXX ( XXXX ) : Got it Thanks I was happy with {$50.00} extra, so I respond by saying : Me ( XXXX ) : Also, just as a precaution for next time, I wouldnt recommend sending a check as large as you did to me to another person since they may never respond to you and just may keep the money for themselves. I wouldnt want you to get scammed, since that would be a large amount of money to lose. 
Oh the irony, I was looking out for this random stranger but it turns out that a few days later on XX/XX/XXXX, I check my bank account and see that the {$1800.00} check that he sent me was rescinded. It was then that I finally realized I got played, and was {$1700.00} short of my account. All I really wanted to do was return the money he sent to me so he wouldnt get ripped off, but I should have just been selfish and looked out for myself since he would have rescinded the check anyways. Also, please note that all the texts he sent were in exactly his words. If you need any further documentation or explanation, feel free to contact me. Also, I have not yet taken action with my bank, but I plan on doing so within the next few days.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation