Consumer complaint received 2019-11-29
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: NY
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
The company in question is PayPal, with which online payment service I have had an account since XXXX. 

Beginning on XX/XX/XXXX and running through XX/XX/XXXX, I received 49 " payments '' from so-called " buyers '' ( from overseas and within the U.S. ) in the amount of XXXX cents. In some instances, I received this XXXX cent payment as many as five or six times from the same buyer ( typically on the same day ). I didn't realize that my PayPal account had been hacked/compromised until around XX/XX/XXXX ; in fact, I only thought to check my PayPal account because I kept receiving spam calls on my office phone ( three and four times a day ) from a phone number ( XXXX ) that brought up a false caller ID of " PayPal. '' Once I checked my PayPal account, I noted a negative balance of {$350.00}, and the 49 fraudulent transactions. I immediately called PayPal, and I have not been able to get PayPal representatives to elevate my situation to a " Fraud '' and " Security '' department ( I'm beginning to wonder whether they even *have* a Fraud and Security Department ) and I am trapped making endless calls to their " customer service number '' ( XXXX or XXXX ), only to be put on endless " hold '' and then to connect with someone who may or may not have the least idea a ) what's going on ; b ) how to address my situation ; c ) who is in any way trained to address my situation. Over the course of three weeks, and with close to 20 separate calls made to PayPal, I've connected only three times with someone who ( I thought ) understood how to address my situation, although in the end, none actually elevated the situation to a researcher or resolved it. On XX/XX/XXXX, I connected with a PayPal rep named " XXXX '' who admitted that my account had been compromised and credited my account in the amount of {$350.00}. ( I still have her voicemail recording saved on my computer. ) She apologized for the inconvenience and assured me that all had been remedied. Two days later, I found a new negative balance in the amount of {$140.00}. Once again, endless calls until on XX/XX/XXXX, I connected with a person named " XXXX '' who, like XXXX, credited my account for the {$140.00}. Within a few days, a new negative balance appeared. It was only when I connected with someone named " XXXX '' that I learned that I was accruing " PayPal '' penalties ( {$20.00} per XXXX cent charge ) for failing to refund the so-called buyers their XXXX cents. XXXX helped me to refund 24 of the 49 fraudulent " payments, '' but as it stands, the credit card/financial institutions of at least 25 hacked/faked/defrauded buyers have opened up a case against me and my PayPal account. I make endless calls to PayPal, and I get completely different responses about how to protect myself from these claims and how to shut down my PayPal account. I spent XX/XX/XXXX messaging PayPal reps, one of  whom ( " XXXX '' ) assured me ( XXXX XXXX ) '' We will dispute this case with the buyer 's financial institution. No further action is needed at this time from your end. '' Two hours later ( XXXX XXXX  ), I received a message from " XXXX, '' who writes, " Please know that these cases were filed by buyer 's card company and PayPal do not have any control on these cases as the decision will be made by their card company. As there are multiple cases, I request you to speak to our phone support team so that it will be easy to give you updates. '' This is the nightmare I've been suffering since I discovered the hack on or around XX/XX/XXXX. PayPal never contacted me saying " we have noticed unusual activity '' : no phone call, no alert. I discovered the hack on my own. And I've spent hours -- during work -- waiting on hold to speak with a member of PayPal 's " phone support team, '' which is largely made up of incompetent, script-wielding nincompoops who don't know what to say or how to help me. Pretty much, this " support team '' is a firewall that keeps customers from getting to anyone approaching " support. '' Will the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau please, please help me? I am trying to shut down a corrupted PayPal site, and no one at PayPal will help me or intervene or research this fraudulent activity. I am being victimized twice over : by the original hacker or hackers ( what XXXX described as my " harasser '' ) and by PayPal itself. I have screen shots of the 49 transactions ; I have screen shots of my conversations with PayPal reps. Please help me. Please.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief