Consumer complaint received 2021-04-24
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NY
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I posted washer and dryer for sales on XXXX XXXX XXXXt for {$1200.00}. I was contacted via cellphone number XXXX XXXX XXXX to email the buyer XXXX and XXXX if my w & d were available for sales. Then the communication continued via e-mail - with the same person responding from both e-mails. And the alleged husband of the buyer called me several times from the cellphone number XXXX XXXX XXXX ( I have calls recorded on an app ). This alleged buyer, the lady who e-mailed, said he sent a check via UPS to my home address, and when the check arrived she said there is more money on the check ( {$3000.00} XXXX as her assistant mistakenly added the movers fee on the check that was mailed to me. Then she told me to cash in the check, which I did using my mobile phone on XX/XX/XXXX, and that I can give the difference of {$1800.00} to the driver ( mover ) when they get there for pickup of w & d. Once the check was visible to me as cashed in 3 days on my bank account ( bank mislead me by showing that check is cashed ), I went on and sent back the difference of {$1800.00} ( two transactions XXXX by XXXX XXXX to the mover who they gave the me e-mail for as : XXXX, with name XXXX XXXX as a mover to receive this fee. To my surprise, on the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, 7 days after I see that the check I cashed listed by my bank as rejected ( bounced back ) by XXXX and them my bank took away from me the {$3000.00} labeling it XXXX RETURN ITEM CHARGEBACK, and they also charged me {$12.00} listed as XXXX RETURNED ITEM CHARGEBACK FEE. I called the bank 7 times on XX/XX/XXXX and explained what happened to me, with them telling me that this is likely was a fraud. All of the sudden the cellphone XXXX XXXX XXXX is non-functional number anymore at XXXX pm on XX/XX/XXXX, even though I left them a voicemail message on my first call on XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX XXXX am telling them that check bounced back. Due to this fraud the scammers stole from me {$1800.00} from me, so please help me in any way to get my money back and catch and punish the fraudsters. 
My bank 's, i.e. the Bank of America 's customer service will not help me. I called them 10 times and as soon as I found out that they ( my bank ) charged me i.e. took away {$3000.00} from me since the check bounced. I even talked to the manager of Fraud Dept. and they all are not willing, capable or are incompetent to protect me and help me get my money back. Update on XX/XX/XXXX : I have reason to believe that the fraudster might actually be living in the XXXX XXXX XXXX region in New York XXXX as I received text messages from XXXX XXXX XXXX and from another cellphone XXXX XXXX XXXX to ask as an allegedly another customer whether the washer and dryer were still available for sales. I suspect this was the " secondary check '' to confirm I took the bait and took off the items from XXXX XXXX XXXX and marked them as sold.

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