Consumer complaint received 2024-01-18
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION
State: MD
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
My name is XXXX XXXX XXXX & I am writing you to re-open my current investigation regarding claim # XXXX. 

On Monday XX/XX/2023 I made a XXXX transaction with a gentlemen I thought was selling me XXXX XXXX tickets & a parking pass for the amount of {$1000.00}. I was posting on a XXXX XXXX Ticket page on the XXXX platform. The gentlemen I was assumed tobe dealing with XXXX page was listed under the name XXXX XXXX from XXXX, MD. I have also included several screenshots from my encounter with " XXXX XXXXXXXX '' via XXXX XXXX along with other people in the XXXX XXXX Ticket page group that ALSO was approached by " XXXX XXXXXXXX '' regarding tickets. 

The tickets were to be in Section XXXX, row XXXX, seats XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX. While talking with " XXXX XXXX '' he informed me that XXXX would be the best for payment and gave me a number of XXXX to send payment to for the name of " XXXX XXXX ''. Once I tried to make payment, the transaction did not go through, saying " Something Went Wrong '' and to contact " XXXX XXXX ''. Which I did, and he then gave me another number to use, XXXX for a XXXX XXXX. He informed me that should work and to send the money to that account. Which I did and payment went through. Being that XXXX typically goes through instantly, " XXXX XXXX '' confirmed he DID NOT receive payment. To which I assumed maybe because it was a holiday that the transaction would not go through until the next day. To test this, l sent my fiancee {$1.00} to her XXXX account and she confirmed she received the money instantly. This was my red flag that I may be getting scammed. 

" XXXX XXXX '' informed me to call the bank or XXXX and cancel. I attempted to do so and was told we could not cancel because payment already went through. I was told by a M & T representative that " XXXX XXXXXXXX '' did in fact, receive payment. To which " XXXX XXXX '' kept insisting he did not receive it. At this time, I began to investigate on my own and reach out to people in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XXXX to see if anybody else has encountered any issues while dealing with " XXXX XXXXXXXX ''. And there were several people. I have attached severa I screenshots of other messages that people sent to me showing me their encounter with " XXXX XXXX ''. A common thing I noticed is that " XXXX XXXX '' kept saying the recipient was " his partner '' and that was who would be receiving the money. In the attached screenshots, I have " XXXX XXXX '' saying to send money to " XXXX '' XXXX " XXXX '', & XXXX XXXX XXXX. Upon doing more research, I found a XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX that works for a cyber security company and he had written an article about " Money Mules '' in XXXX and how it was becoming more and more common for " scammers '' to perform stunts like this. 

Attempting to contact " XXXX XXXX '' some more after feeling more and more uneasy about the situation, I requested my money back as he kept insisting he did not receive it. He told me he banks with XXXXXXXX XXXX  so I called them and was told that on Tuesday XX/XX/2023, all of their transaction have been processed and there is no reason for " XXXX XXXXXXXX '' not to have the money in his account. I kept insisting that " XXXX XXXX '' send me money back before I take further legal actions. He told me " How do I send it when I didn't receive it '' and " You think am scared or something '?? ". And then he blocked me so that I was unable to contact him anymore. I also tried to request my money back through the XXXX platform, with no luck. I even tried calling and texting the two numbers that he provided to me to make the XXXX transaction and they appeared to be fake numbers. 

I am 100 % confident that " XXXX XXXX 's '' XXXX Account was compromised and that I was never talking to a " XXXX XXXXXXXX '' to begin with. 

I have attached in this letter several screenshots { and labeled them ) as it pertains to this investigation. was trying to buy these XXXX XXXX XXXX tickets for my daughters for XXXX and as of right now, I am out {$1000.00}. As a father of XXXX XXXX this is a tremendous amount of money for me to lose during the holiday season. I beg you to please understand where I am coming from in this situation and hope that my letter and attached evidence helps to solve this investigation.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation