Consumer complaint received 2022-05-24
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: RI
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX a scam caller stole all of the money out of my USAA checking and savings accounts, a total of {$4700.00} and {$20.00} wire fee. They called from the USAA customer service number and texted me verification codes from the USAA automated text number and emailed me official USAA documents saying that someone was trying to steal money from me. They moved {$3400.00} from my savings account into my checking account, then wired out everything but the {$20.00} for the wire fee. I reported the event on XX/XX/XXXX when I realized what had happened. The USAA banker I spoke to on the 14th filed a financial crime report and took no further actions. 

I called back on the 15th asking for clarification on what I should do and what I should expect the bank to do. At this time, I was told that I was supposed have been transferred to the security team the first time I called but was not offered an explanation for why this didn't happen. Another financial crime report was filed at this time. I then spoke to the wire transfer department who tried to recall the wire transfer, and the security team who had me change my account log in information and security questions. The security team member said that was all that I needed to do ( in addition to using a credit monitoring service ) and that I did not need to make a new account. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from the fraud department at USAA informing me that the case was investigated and the decision was made that I was explicitly not found liable and would be reimbursed in full. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, {$3400.00} were transferred into my savings account. This was the amount that was stolen out of my savings account, but I was not reimbursed for the XXXX that was stolen from my checking account and I was not given any reason for this. I received a {$1400.00} tax refund on XX/XX/XXXX as a XXXX transfer, but I don't see any reason why a USAA agent would mistake that for a credit from the bank. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, a fraudulent check marked # XXXX took {$3400.00} out of my checking account. For some reason USAA allowed this check to be processed, leaving my account at a liability of about - {$2000.00}. 

I called USAA customer service on XX/XX/XXXX and explained what happened and was inexplicably transferred to a debt-collector. The debt-collector said that I owed the {$2000.00} because the bank had really only given me a provisional credit and then took it back out of my account because I was found liable. I explained that this didn't make any sense because the person who spoke to me said the opposite, it was taken out by a fake check, and I was left with a negative balance. I was then transferred to a banker who listened to me and actually looked at my account history in order to make detailed notes about what happened. He said that they should have had me close the compromised account in the first place, and I never should have been transferred to a debt-collector. He advised that I open a new account now and wait for the fraudulent check to come back before I transfer all my money into new accounts. I opened a new account that day and have been waiting to get my money back since then. 

I called again on XX/XX/XXXX and someone who was able to see the fraud department 's notes said that I would be reimbursed in full within XXXX days, including the money that I was owed from the first instance of fraud. 

I called on XX/XX/XXXX because I still had not received any money and was told that no one can see the fraud department 's notes but the banker wrote a message for the fraud department that I had called asking about the case. 

I still have not received any kind of resolution 42 days after the incident which I reported in a timely manner on XX/XX/XXXX.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation