Consumer complaint received 2023-03-24
Company: GOLDEN 1 CREDIT UNION, THE
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I've been filling out loan applications for 2 weeks. Monday, XX/XX/2023 around XXXX I got a call from representatives of XXXX XXXX that told me they were loan officers of this company and could get me a loan. They emailed me paperwork that I signed and sent back, along with a copy of my CA drivers license. Maybe an hour later they asked me to do an account verification action that would boost my credit score. I gave them access to my mobile banking app and they remotely made deposits, 2 @ {$900.00} each to my account. I then sent them back the available funds ( {$1500.00} ) in XXXX. They said they needed to do a second transaction to get my credit score up higher as it was still too low. They deposited funds again, 2 @ {$900.00}, but they were not available so they said they would call me back in the morning. The morning of XX/XX/2023 I got a call from the same person representing XXXX XXXX as a loan officer and part of the funds, {$1400.00}, had cleared so I again sent them that amount in XXXX. They said I would have the principle of the loan balance deposited into my account later that day, by XXXX XXXXXXXX. At XXXXXXXX XXXX I got a call from the same loan officer that said my credit score was still too low and they needed to do one more account verification payment the next morning in order to fund my account with the {$6000.00} loan. The morning of XX/XX/XXXX this same person called but I told him I felt 2 payment verifications were sufficent. He assured me only one more and I relented. He made 2 more deposits, a {$1500.00} and a {$500.00}, but most was on hold so i only sent him {$1100.00} in XXXX. He said I'd have the loan principle in my account within one hour. I then got a call from a representative from XXXX XXXX, who said he had a {$10000.00} loan for me. I signed the paperwork from him and waited. He called 20 min later and asked if I had tried to get a loan from anyone else in the last 48 hours. I said yes, and he said they were bad people and I shouldn't have done business with them. I first called my bank, Golden 1 Credit Union, at this time. They said the account was under review and would not speak to me. I could no longer access my account at this point. I waited and the guy from XXXX XXXX called again, said my account was frozen and his {$10000.00} loan he had given me was frozen along with my account. And that he would try to cancel his loan to me, and get his money back. I called Golden 1 a second time, again saying I had been scammed, and was told my account was in review and I couldnt do anything, nor were they able to speak with me about it. For 30 days. I tried to stop direct deposit of my work check into the account but it was too late. And my employer, XXXX, said they couldnt stop payment on the check nor issue a new one until it was rejected by bank and returned to them. Obviously Golden 1 kept my paycheck. I went the morning of XX/XX/2023 to the XXXX police department with my documentation and filed a police report. It is report # XXXX. They said it would be 7-10 days before they would get to it. I emailed golden1 with the police report number and brief explanation and requested to speak with someone. I later received an email from them that the account was locked but that I could access online. I was unable to. I went to the branch office of golden1 credit union on XXXX XXXX in XXXX, CA today, XX/XX/2023, and was told that they were holding me liable for the fraud and that they were keeping all my money in the account and still wanted another {$2000.00} from me. Thats when I came home to file a complaint with you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation