Consumer complaint received 2021-07-09
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: RI
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Overdrafts and overdraft fees

Complaint:
Around the time of the stimulus checks my XXXX XXXX XXXX daughter wanted a puppy and she was looking around and came across many different post of people selling puppies and some were obvious they were scams. But this woman in particular provided everything I asked for including the vet clinic and phone number which I verified and it was legit and I called and they confirmed the puppy being seen there for vaccines. She provided a video saying my daughters name with the puppy. I told her I would feel comfortable if made a partial payment through my bank for my safety and she accepted and told me she would give me her XXXX  information. I would make the partial payment only when I received flight information and she provided me with her name which was XXXX XXXX but people called her XXXX and her husband name was XXXX XXXX which I was sending the partial payment was to her husband. She also suggested XXXX Pay her son XXXX XXXX and provided me with her sons phone number which is XXXX. Her phone number is XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX. She sent me this XXXX Along with tracking XXXX XXXX XXXX  ... I never received the dog just this email, Dear client, We have a puppy available in our custody for transportation to you. However, our terms or service require animals to be transported in the most comfortable conditions possible in order to be up to standard. 

You are hereby required to get a medium sized electric air conditioned crate and a vaccine for your pet to be transported in. 

As for the electric crate, two ways are available to attain an electric air conditioned crate. Either by renting or by purchasing. 

To rent a crate, you will have to pay the sum of {$590.00}. 98 % of this money will be given back to you when the pet arrives and the crate is taken back. 

To purchase a crate, you will have to pay the sum of {$590.00}. Upon delivery, the pet is given to you alongside the crate as your property. 

You are to respond with your choice ( renting or purchasing ) and your preferred method of payment Thanks for understanding ... I called her and she acted surprised. She blocked my daughter and myself from XXXX where the post was originally. The police couldn't help nor the bank helped me get my money back. I am a XXXX mother of XXXX and ever since this situation occurred I was forced to close my bank accounts and open new accounts if not I wouldn't have access to online banking and because of this I've been having overdraft fees like crazy on 2 of my accounts because a bank representative attached my debit cards to the wrong accounts and both my accounts are negative. My son also has had negative fees because I had 5 accounts in total but 2 of them belonged that my adult son and now adult daughter, which her student account is still opened because she wasn't available to go into the branch with me, only my son. She didn't agree on her account closing but I was told by the branch she had to come into the bank to close it but she refuses and it's still open. I wasn't able to close my XXXX account due to the office of Childsuport office being closed to the public and there's many things that I can't do over the internet and that's only when my son comes and helps me. Afterwards my claim was denied so there was really no point on closing my accounts. I really wish I can reopen my XXXX account due to the child tax credit and I have no way of providing my new accounts to the irs because lack of internet knowledge. Two accounts are currently negative and I still have payments pending and ever since the new accounts I am being charged a service fee I wasn't paying on my old accounts. I hope someone can help me with this situation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief