Consumer complaint received 2023-03-17
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  XXXX, I received a text message from the number XXXX that stated " Chase Bank alert - Did You Attempt to make a payment in the Amount of {$3500.00}? Reply YES or 1 to authorize ; Reply NO or 2 To Decline transaction. '' I responded NO and received the response " Thank you for confirmation transaction declined case ID # XXXX. '' As I was contacting Chase Bank at XXXX XXXX, I received an incoming phone call from the same number at XXXX XXXX  I was calling for customer service ( XXXX ) so I answered. The gentleman # 1 said his name was XXXX and that he needed to verify my Chase account because there were wire transfers by XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. I told him I did not authorized any of the transfers. He verified my information, and even had an OTP code sent to my phone so we could talk further about my account. He also asked for my address and birthdate ( which is what Chase generally asks for to verify my account when I bank over the phone. ) From there, he alerted me my savings account was compromised and recommended that I transfer all my savings into my checking account. I told him I was not sure this was a valid call and asked to be transferred to a supervisor. He said he would transfer me to a supervisor at we got disconnected, so I called the Chase customer service number back at XXXX XXXX, only to receive a phone call from that same number at XXXX XXXX. I was connected with gentleman # XXXX, at which point I said I'd like to call back to Chase. He said this is an urgent matter and we need to work quickly as these transfers are scheduled to go through within the next 10 minutes. He walked me through what he explained was a reversal by processing a Wire Transfer and typing REVERSAL into the message field. I sent the first one to XXXX XXXX  in XXXX, AL at approximately XXXX XXXX  for {$3500.00}. He said typing reversal is so that the fraud department can flag the wire transfer and stop it from going through. As soon as I hit send, at XXXX XXXX, I received a call from XXXX. I put the first person on hold and answered the call, ( which I believe was the actual Chase bank calling to verify the funds transfer ). I told him I was already talking to someone from Chase about reversing the wire transfers and he told me to go ahead and hang up with gentleman # XXXX and to talk to him instead. I went back over to gentleman # XXXX and he told me that this was a known scamming number and to give him the number that was calling me. I believe gentleman # XXXX ( or possibly someone else ) then contacted my bank and posed as me to validate the wire transfer. ( I was given confirmation of this later by Chase bank ). He said he needed to transfer me to another gentleman with higher authorization because a wire transfer for over {$10000.00} was coming through. Gentleman # XXXX worked quickly to give me more information and instruction on processing what I thought was another reversal to another bank ( XXXX XXXX  in XXXX, FL ). I received another call from the XXXX number but ignored it as they'd let me know this was a scamming number. I NEVER AUTHORIZED ANY OF THE TRANSACTIONS THAT CAME THROUGH. The gentlemen that I was speaking to contacted Chase to verify and approve the transactions. He walked me through 2 more transactions, one for {$13000.00} and one for {$4500.00} before transferring me to another gentleman. ( With every transfer, each person I spoke to, I could hear what sounded like a chirping smoke detector in the background. ) This next guy said he needed to verify my account so asked me to enter my debit card number, expiration date and CVV. I said I didn't feel comfortable saying it so he had me enter it into the IVR. That didn't register for him so he " reset his IVR '' and asked that I enter my debit card number and pin. He then said I needed to enter my existing credit card number that I had with Chase and I said I didn't think I needed to do that. I asked if maybe I should cancel both debit cards for me and my husband and get new ones. He read me the exact same disclosure about getting a new debit card that I have received from Chase, confirmed my mailing address and said I would get them in 24-48 hours. He also said he would like to follow up on XX/XX/XXXX with a phone call at XXXX to verify that the funds have returned to my account. I said that was okay and we ended the call at XXXX XXXX. 
I immediately called Chase back at XXXX and spoke to a customer service representative, letting them know that I was just scammed and that I needed them to check to see if the wire transfers showing as pending on my account were being reversed. I was told that they were initiated and were not reversed and that no one from Chase called me except to get authorization for the charges. This rep confirmed that they did receive a call from me to confirm the charges ( which is NOT a call that I made at all, and is why I believe the scammers used my information to call and approve the wire transfers. ) I told her it was imperative that these wire transfers get canceled or recalled and that I needed to escalate this immediately. While I was on the phone, attempting to recall the wire transfers, I received FOUR emails from Chase stating that my wire transfers were sent, as requested ( received at XXXX for transaction # XXXX, at XXXX for transaction # XXXX, at XXXX for transaction # XXXX, and at XXXX for transaction # XXXX. ) I was then put me on hold to prepare to transfer me and at XXXX, I received another text message from XXXX that stated Chase bank Alert A debit card pre-authorization hold of {$250.00} was added to account ****. Reply YES If valid, Fraud Reply NO, ; I did not respond to this text message. I was then transferred me someone else who verified my account and again told me that I initiated the wire transfers. I explained that I did, thinking that I was speaking to an actual Chase Bank representative but that I needed them to immediately recall ALL FOUR of those wire transfers. He said that he was filing a claim for a wire recall. I ended that call at XXXX XXXX. One hour later, not sure of what the resolution was going to be, I contacted Chase customer service again and got instruction that I needed to send a secure message through my online portal in order to initiate a wire recall and that no wire recall notes existed in my account at that point. Frustrated, I asked to speak to a supervisor who again told me that I initiated the wires so it is not considered fraud but that I will just have to wait 1 to 2 days to hear if they were successful in recalling the wire transfers. I have spoken to a total of 9 representatives at different departments by the end of XX/XX/XXXX, including one Virtual Banking Assistant named XXXX XXXX and none of them could give me a definitive answer as to whether this was being handled, if someone was working on it, or if there were any additional levels of security to protect my account since the entire account had been compromised in the last 24 hours. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  XXXX, I contacted the Chase claims department and obtained my claim # XXXX. I spoke to XXXX who told me that she does see an existing claim for a wire recall. I asked how I can find out the status of the claim and she said I would need to wait for a message to appear in my secure message center or for the funds to appear back in my account. At XXXX that same morning the scammers called me back ( from the cloned Chase customer service number ) to verify that the funds had been recovered to my account. I hung up and immediately called Chase and spoke to a customer service rep. I confirmed that a claim had been started for the 4 wire transfers that were fraudulent and asked if I could report someone impersonating Chase to gain information about their customers. She stated that they dont have a department that handles that and that they do not have control over scammers. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  I called and spoke to someone in the Chase Claims department about my claims and obtained confirmation that the wire recalls were going through and that the Wire Research Team would reach out to me on the secure message center with more information. I called back to the Claims department at XXXX inquiring about more detail about what I could do to ensure the wire recalls were being processed. That rep said they couldnt help me with wire transfers and so I asked to speak to a supervisor and at XXXX, I was transferred to a supervisor named XXXX XXXX I explained my situation to him and HE transferred me to a wire expert named XXXX, who was actually in the claims escalation department. She said that Wire Research team was working on my claims. 
Friday XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX, I called the Claims department after receiving secure messages referencing the FOUR totally separate claims ( for my ONE account ) with FOUR different reference codes. ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ) I was given instruction in the messages for the largest transfer to XXXX XXXX  for {$13000.00}, to PLS SEND LETTER OF INDEMNITY TO WIRE-XXXX. I spoke to XXXX who said there were no updates. I asked to speak to a supervisor and she transferred me to XXXX who I explained my situation to and he said he needed to transfer me to the Money Movement Department. I spoke to XXXX in the department and she immediately started direct messaging with the Wire Research Team. I was advised that the Wire Research Team could not be reached by phone, only by secure message or message from someone in the Money Movement Department. She gave me that number ( XXXX ) She confirmed that a claim has been filed ( # XXXX ) and that the wire recalls were confirmed to be sent on XX/XX/XXXX ( one day after I called to report and request recalls ). She asked the Wire Research team to clarify what was communicated to me in the secure message : What is the Letter of Indemnity and who is this letter between, if I am sending it to the receiving bank? She said it is between me and the receiving bank. 
Monday XX/XX/XXXX : Called the number I was given for the Electronic Money Movement Department at XXXX to speak to someone who could send messages to the Wire Research Team . Spoke to XXXX who said that no one in this department could message with the wire research team. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I received two secure messages from the Wire Research team that stated that in order for my question to be answered about the Hold Harmless letter I needed to send to the recipient bank ( of which I only received the email address for XXXX bank and not the other bank that 3 of the 4 wires were sent to and not XXXX  where they were sent ) I needed to contact the Claims Department. I called the Chase Claims Department and asked my question and the person had no idea so I asked to speak to a supervisor. I spoke to someone name XXXX who stated that We are not able to pursue recovery for your wire recall and that I needed to work with the recipient bank. I asked if she could then message with the XXXX XXXX team to obtain MORE information about this decision and if it included not just the {$13000.00} wire, but the {$3500.00}, {$4500.00} and {$3500.00} other wires that were sent on my account. She said she had NO WAY TO MESSAGE WITH THEM. I told her how frustrated this made me because I have been contacting them every day for status updates and for CLEAR instruction on how to proceed and what I can do and have gotten nowhere. She stated that there are gaps in our departments and that we are not equipped to handle these things and that feedback has been sent on these things, maam. I asked her to clarify what things were being provided feedback on and she said your case. I asked what that meant and she just said unfortunately we are not able to pursue this wire recall any longer. I told her that I have already contacted the FBI, my local law enforcement, the FTC, the attorney general and am talking to the media about this. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Called Claims dept and spoke to XXXX. I asked if this crime had been reported to the IRS under the Bank Secrecy Act and she said she didnt know what that was so I asked to speak to a supervisor. I was transferred to XXXX, a Claims Supervisor, who stated this is not considered a crime or fraud because you were scammed. Because of that, we wouldnt have any knowledge of whether this was reported to the government or not. I advised her that Ive spoken to a reporter and she said she needed to escalate me to the Executive Office. I asked if thats all I had to say to be escalated and that I had notified several reps before her that I was speaking to the media. She put me on hold to transfer me but I got disconnected before that went through. 
XX/XX/XXXX Spoke to XXXX in claims who confirmed that Chase is not pursuing recovery of my funds through wire recall. I asked if this was for ALL of the wire transfers that occurred ( all 4 ) or just the {$13000.00}. I was not informed via message center or by anyone other than on XX/XX/XXXX that recovery was halting. She said all the transfer recoveries were stopping. 
XX/XX/XXXX Met with XXXX XXXX at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I told her what happened and asked if she could find out if ALL the wire recoveries were ceasing or just the largest one. I also asked what the Letter of Indemnity was that I was told to send to the recipient bank in order to continue pursuing recovering the largest transfer of {$13000.00}. I gave her my Claim number as well as all 4 reference numbers for each of the wire transfer recalls. I also showed her a series of Secure Messages I received that I had printed out. She called the Claims Dept. and was told that she needed to direct message ( through a system called XXXX XXXX ) to the Wire Research Team. After speaking with them via chat, she was directed to talk to claims. She called back into claims, escalated to a supervisor who told her she needed to ask these questions to the Wire Research Team. XXXX advised me that the 3 transfers to XXXX Bank were still being pursued but that the other one was halted. She then showed me the Wire/ACH Escalation form that she submitted for all 4 of my fraudulent wire transfers. She advised me that a supervisor in the Executive Office would be contacting me and if they did not by Monday, to let her know and she would continue to help. She said she will be my point person going forward. 
I received a call from XXXX in the Executive Office Branch of Chase bank letting me know that someone named XXXX would be handling my case and calling me from XXXX ext. XXXX and that their hours are XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. My case is under review. 
I believe that the handling of this is flippant and negligent and I have no trust in my financial institution to work for my good. I do not believe that Chase appropriately and urgently requested a SWIFT Recall of the 4 wire transfers when I called in to request it ( as I was advised that they were not filed until one day after I called to have them recalled. ) I also did not give verbal authorization to Chase to process any of the wire transfers completed. The people committing this crime impersonated me, contacted Chase bank and authorized the wires to go through. Additionally, I have been advised that I need to send a Letter of Indemnity to the recipient bank of the largest transfer and was given an email address to XXXX XXXX  that is not for clients or customers, but to be used by industry partners. I believe that Chase is trying to shirk responsibility of this process. I would like this to be resolved by receiving the amount of all FOUR fraudulent wire transfers back to my account in the total amount of {$25000.00}. 










FBI : Internet Crime Complaint Center : https : XXXX/complaint.ic3.gov/ Washington State Office of the Attorney General : https : //www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint Federal Trade Commission : https : //reportfraud.ftc.gov/ # / FTC Report # XXXX Office of the Comptroller XXXX Currency : https : //helpwithmybank.gov/ Case XXXX Referred to file a complaint with the CFPB Consumer Financial Protection Bureau : https : //www.consumerfinance.gov/ XXXX Local Police Report XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Washington State Department of Financial Institutions : https : //dfi.wa.gov/ 1. https : //dfi.wa.gov/banks/faqs # federal-agencies

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation