Consumer complaint received 2021-03-30
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY
State: NH
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
Hello, my name is XXXX XXXX and I am a victim of fraud. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call at XXXX pm at work, from someone saying they were from TD Bank 's fraud department asking about some activity that they wanted to make sure was me. The man asked me if I made these XXXX transactions. As someone that has personally never created a XXXX account, I told him no and he said that these must be fraudulent transactions which I agreed. He then said that to grant the money back into my account from XXXX, I needed to individually approve of messages that stated, " TD Bank will not call to respond to this msg. Send {$160.00} XXXX payment to YourAcc.t IMMEDIATELY? YES to Send, NO to Cancel. TD Bank XXXX. STOP to end all msgs. '' The amount of the transaction would be different but the message would be the same for each amount. These transactions would come to total {$3400.00}. The man on the phone told me that my account would be on hold and that I would receive a new debit card in the mail within the next couple of days and would then be able to reset my account. Not long after this call, at XXXX pm on the same day I called the bank back and after a little bit I got a hold of someone and explained what happened and just wanted to make sure everything was all set. This guy that I was talking with at TD said that although he did not see the phone call, it is most likely a real person I spoke with and not to worry, and that he understood these transactions I brought up with this him were in fact fraudulent. He explained to me that even if this money was withdrawn fraudulently, this was not the final step and that the bank would be able to help me afterwards. A couple days later is Friday, XXXX, XXXX, and my XXXX  asked me if everything was settled with the bank. I tried to look in my online banking but my log in information was not working. I made a new log in password, opened up my account, and was terrified to see XXXX much larger XXXX transactions to the same person, " XXXX XXXX. '' These XXXX transactions were, {$2400.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and {$2000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. At this point I drove directly to the bank, located at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, NH. I spoke with a woman named XXXX XXXX, and explained my issue with her and then made a fraud claim. She let the fraud department know, and I was instructed that I would be notified in XXXX days with their findings. On the tenth day, XX/XX/XXXX I called the bank, and was told that my claim was denied. I then called my uncle, who is an attorney in Massachusetts and drove to his house. We then together called TD Bank and their fraud department. They claimed that my phone authorized these transactions and I was completely at fault. If I wanted to, I could get a police report and file a new claim. I then left my uncle 's place, drove to the XXXX, MA police station and filed a police report. Although my legal address is in XXXX, NH, I have recently moved to XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MA. The following day, XX/XX/XXXX, I drove to the same TD Bank with my police report to make a new claim. This time I carefully went over everything that happened with both XXXX, and the assistant store XXXX, XXXX XXXX. I told them that I never made a XXXX account and that I got a call that matched the number on the back of my debit card and the number attached to the confirmation text was also a number that connects to TD Bank. They told me that the first person I spoke to was most likely a scammer, but I reiterated that someone hacked my account, knew my personal information to get into my online banking and also created a XXXX account that was attached both to my phone number and email. I should also mention here that the day after I received the initial call, I got an alert from XXXX, saying an unknown device tried to access my email from XXXX, XXXX. I also explained that even after this initial fraud, I called and talked to someone at TD Bank directly, explained that fraud was occurring on my account, and then close to {$4500.00} was still taken out the next couple of days. They said this was very weird and uncomfortably did not know what to say or do and so they called the fraud department. I am not sure why I have to go run around and go into the branch when they eventually just have me speak to someone on a phone anyways, but will not allow me to make that call without driving in. Anyways, I after the explanation, the woman on the other line just explained that they do not cover scams and basically I was out of luck. Baffled at the disrespect and lack of concern towards a customer, I told XXXX to add to my report that I never made a XXXX account and that even after direct contact with someone at the Bank where I explained that there was fraud, a near {$4500.00} was transferred to the same account I claimed was committing fraud. A couple days later, even with the updated claim and the police report, XXXX called me and told me my second fraud claim was denied. I am reaching out to the CFPB, because TD Bank has been completely unhelpful, making me run around without any sort of direction or help in this situation. The bank is trying to completely wash their hands of any responsibility in this situation, and seems to me, trying to deter me from pursuing this matter. Instead of helping me resolve it, they are trying to make sure I do not get this resolved. I am out almost {$8000.00}. All the money I have saved up from working after graduating now is just about stolen from me, while I have to try and pay my rent, student loans, and a car payment. I am pleading with you guys at the CFPB to review my case and please help me. Thank you, XXXX XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation