Consumer complaint received 2019-11-12
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: MA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I am a XXXX XXXX for XXXX!. On Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I accepted a XXXX  from XXXX XXXX At XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX. I came to learn after the fact that this person created a fraudulent account through XXXX! To have access to my personal information. He then called pretending to be XXXX, a manger with ID number XXXX. He said that my account was suspended and that I could not XXXX   another XXXX  until it was resolved. He even told me he had reached out to XXXX XXXX And told him that I would be delayed, and I received a message from XXXX XXXX Saying as much. XXXX asked me for personal information to verify my account, including my bank username. I said that I was not comfortable giving that information, but it was through verified and secure text messages so he could not see my information. 

While on the phone, he hacked into my XXXX XXXX XXXX account and transferred {$2000.00} to a man named XXXX and {$600.00} to a man named XXXX using the app Zelle ( which I have never used in my lifetime ). The {$2000.00} to XXXX was sent to a XXXX XXXX, and the phone number XXXX was used ( a number I do not know ). It said that the money was sent for rent, but I send rent to my landlord using secured XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX transfers, and never Zelle. I have documentation to confirm this. The transfer for {$600.00} for XXXX was to a XXXX XXXX XXXX, which I have never used, with the phone number XXXX. I do not know either of these people, nor do I know the man on the phone. I immediately reported the fraud to XXXX   XXXX XXXX, and opened up new accounts with the bank. The claim number is XXXX. This claim was denied because the bank claimed that since I provided a username that I authorized the transactions, but I do no such thing. 

I came to learn that this is a known fraud scheme with XXXX. The XXXX XXXX Account was fake, and he made the account to have access to my personal information as his dog walker. The representative was also a fraud, and in fact they were the same person. I do not know this person, and I do not know the people who he transferred money to. 

My XXXX police report ID is XXXX. I have also worked with Detective XXXX XXXX, who can be reached at phone number XXXX I am also including a copy of my complaint to the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ). My FTC report number is XXXX. 

I would also like for it to be known that XXXX! Is aware of the fraudulent activity, and has confirmed that this person used a fraudulent profile on XXXX! To hack my bank account. This person inappropriately used the XXXX! App that I work for to access my personal information. The Fraud Department at XXXX! Is very willing to assist with this investigation to have my funds securely returned to me. The XXXX! Fraud team can be reached at XXXX. 

I reached out to Zelle for assistance, but since I do not have a Zelle profile nor have I ever used Zelle, they denied assistance because I am not a Zelle user. The fact that I have never used Zelle should show that this was fraudulent and that I did not authorize these transactions. Zelle does not have any sort of support for these claims.

I never authorized these transactions through Zelle, and this person inappropriately stole funds from me. I am asking for action to be taken against Zelle as well as XXXX  XXXX XXXX. My CFPB claim for the XXXX  XXXX XXXX complaint is XXXX. I was encouraged by XXXX, a representative of CFPB, to submit this secondary claim to Zelle.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation