Consumer complaint received 2022-07-19
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Bounced checks or returned payments

Complaint:
In the second week of XXXX, I went looking for websites that have remote job positions To be more specific data entry jobs ( I currently work retail so I was looking for a job that I could do from my home and save a little bit of money on Transportation because I take the bus to go to my current job ) so I could apply to the two of these websites were XXXX and XXXX immediately after making an account on both of these websites and posting my resume I received numerous emails and text messages but it wasn't until XX/XX/XXXX that I responded to 1 text message coming from the number XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX Someone by the name of XXXX XXXX told me that they saw my resume on XXXX and would like to interview me for their open remote position at XXXX and that all I would need to do is download this app Called XXXX XXXX to start the process. I downloaded the app and began talking with someone that goes by XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. 

I began talking with XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX and he explained to me what the position was and what I would be doing for that position ( XXXX XXXX ) after that we had a regular interview that did not seem suspicious at the time and he was asking me actual questions That would be comment for an everyday interview. XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX told me to give him a couple of minutes while he talked to some people about possibly hiring me 40 minutes to an hour later he came back to the chat and said that I was hired to end then he told me that I would need some equipment to begin working for the company XXXX He said to me that the company would put provide me with the equipment he then asked me what is my email address because they would email ( XXXX ) me a check for {$1400.00} and what I would have to do is resize and print the check then use chase quick deposit it into my chase account and XXXX someone by the name of XXXX XXXX ( XXXX email : XXXX ) Who is in charge of providing equipment to the XXXX company to pay for the equipment he also told me that they would later send me a physical check in the mail to my address and that {$150.00} would be my sign-on bonus. 


It was at this moment that I thought to myself what if this is a possible scam so I did what anyone would have done in my position I XXXX the company I XXXX the address ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, NY XXXX ) and it matched the address that he told me at the beginning of the conversation I looked at their official website and at the time it looked legit ( But if you look longer at the website and carefully looking over you can tell that it looks like it was made from generic XXXX image photos ) also I found them on XXXX and I found them on XXXX and I found them on XXXX and I found them on XXXX I also double check to see that the equipment that he said I would be getting was actual equipment via XXXX which it checked out and was getting real equipment so at this point I was felt reassured. 
I then deposited the resize check into my Chase account at first Chase only approve me for {$500.00} and said that the rest would be processed tomorrow. I sent them {$500.00} to XXXX XXXX ( XXXX email : XXXX ) and provided XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX with screenshots as he asked in the conversation prior he told me that the company XXXX wanted to know if I was willing to make the next {$900.00} payment for the equipment but I told him that since the check did not clear yet it would come out of my personal funds and that I do not feel comfortable sending my personal funds but I will send the {$900.00} the minute the check clears the next day I then told him to have a good day because I have work tomorrow and I won't be able to answer until XXXX XXXX. 

I woke up the following day and continued the conversation with XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX he asked me how my day was and I said it was fine and if I have eaten yet and I said yes he then asked me to continue with the payment I was supposed to send {$900.00} to the same person XXXX XXXX ( XXXX email : XXXX ) and once again provide screenshots I did so but Chase had put a hold on these ultimate I told him that there was a hold on it and he asked me to send a screenshot and I did he then asked me to send {$500.00} to the same person XXXX XXXX ( XXXX email : XXXX ) At this point I did not take a moment to look at my bank account because if I did I would have realized that even though Chase did not approve the XXXX payment they still took the money out of my account so I ended up sending this person XXXX XXXX ( XXXX email : XXXX ) an additional {$500.00} out of my personal funds. 

At this point, I told XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX that I will no longer be able to talk to him because I needed to go to work and I would most likely have connection issues he told me that was okay and to have a nice day up until this point I did not think anything was wrong until I told my co-workers about the situation and they told me to be careful because people get scammed that way at that point I start to feel a little worried but I try to keep positive when I returned home I sat down and I started to think I did the math and I realized the {$500.00} plus the {$900.00} totals to {$1400.00} and that technically I did not get the {$150.00} sign on bonus that he told me I would get I explained this Situation to XXXX and I told him that I also accidentally sent him an additional {$500.00} he then said to me that the prior two payments were not enough for the equipment and that instead of getting a desktop I would be getting a XXXX and that he would be sending me another check totaling {$2100.00} for me to deposit into my Chase account and this check would contain a {$200.00} sign-on bonus and my returned personal funds of {$500.00}. I deposited the check via quick deposit into my Chase account but Chase put it on hold until XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX told me that's no problem and that I should keep him updated as to when the funds were deposited into my account at this point I was starting to worry. 

I updated my co-workers on the issue and they told me to go straight to my bank and if I properly explain the situation that should be able to help me. I don't remember what day I called Chase but I do remember that it was in the last week of XXXX I explained to them my situation and the woman that helped me told me that she would make a case file for me. 
I am a very particular person and I like to have all evidence and facts should I have a problem so I asked her if there was an email or anything else that I can send extra information about the scam that I am a victim of She then told me I can I have two options option 1 : one I can fax the information over or option number 2 : mail it to their po box I first tried faxing the information over because I thought it seemed faster but I met some problems and I didn't know how to properly fax ( I was never taught and I never learned how to so ) the following day I decided to go to my closest post office But before I went to the post office I went to my closest Chase branch and I asked them if there was any way they could help me right now instead of waiting for my information to reach the chase po box they told me they couldn't help me but that I should do a certified mail receipt just to be sure chase receives the evidence when I reached the post office I did the certified mail receipt {$3.00} and I payed {$26.00} for next day shipping at the same when I reach the post office I Got a notification from my Chase account that the first check from the XXXX company bounced and because it bounced the funds were taken out of my account and chase also charged me a bounced check fee ( {$12.00} ) Putting my account in the negative left. 

since I had such a bad feeling early on I took the rest of my funds and put them in my savings account so it wasn't immediately taken out of my Chase College checking account At this point I started to panic I didn't really know what else to do I tried contacting Chase again s to see if there was anything else that they can do for me but it ended up I end up being told by another Chase associate that the only way that I can fix the bounced check issue is that I need to go back to the same people and get a legit check which didn't make any sense to me because they were scammers and I did make sure to tell the customer service representative they were scammers so chances are they wouldn't give me legit check To fix my bounced check issue and my account being in the negative issue. 

It was at this point that I most definitely knew I was being scammed I once again try to contact XXXX XXXX by telling him that my second check is still being put on hold but I'm more than willing to To receive funds via XXXX not a check because XXXX is currently unable to accept checks in New York state but as a direct payment I was trying to at least get some of my money back. Fast forward a couple of days later I had to pay the negative balance in my Chase College checking account unless I wanted my account to close. XXXX mysteriously decided to close/disconnect their account on XXXX XXXX. I've tried once again numerous times contacting Chase to see if they could at least help me get some of my funds back but they told me that they can't/wont/were unable to get my funds back from this person or people ( Between the three names 2 phone numbers and multiple emails I am unsure if this is one person or multiple people running this ) so this is my last chance of possibly getting my {$1900.00} back. On XX/XX/XXXX I made a formal complaint to XXXX XXXX 's District Attorney 's office the next day I did get a call back from someone at the office that told me the attorney who's going to be on my case ( Attorney XXXX ) and the detective that was going to be on my case ( Detective XXXX ) and they asked me for additional information about my situation. A couple of days after that call back I would say 2 to 3 I got a call from detective XXXX and he explained to me why the check bounced apparently it was missing a series of numbers at the bottom of the check and that I should not to blame myself on the situation he then told me what he would do to continue this process. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I did call the detective on my case to get an update about my situation and he sadly informed me that three out of the four numbers were connected outside of the United States which they do not have jurisdiction over and the fourth number is connected to an XXXX account and hopefully that is connected to a bank account But as time goes on It looks like there's just a high chance that I won't get my money back and that I should accept it and move on I currently work a minimum wage job and I've been working as much as I can to save up money to try and fix my issue but it's hard I graduated in XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX so this whole situation was like a terrible graduation gift and I will start XXXX XXXX XXXX this upcoming XXXX This money was supposed to be put towards textbooks and transportation at this point I don't know what else to do and who else to turn to. 

To sum it up on the first day of the situation I sent XXXX XXXX {$500.00} then on the second day I sent him {$900.00} with an additional {$500.00} by mistake and then after the check bounced I was charged {$12.00} totaling up to {$1900.00}. 

( I also have XXXX screenshots of the conversation I had with XXXX XXXX if you need me to send it to you via email for more proof I am more than willing to do that I sadly was not able to include it in this complaint because it's only allowing me to attach one. Also, the account that is associated with the Screen Shot is close down and I open a new account with the same thing for safety purposes )

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief