Consumer complaint received 2020-11-15
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2020 XXXX XX/XX/2020 XXXX, I'd received a strange text alert. The text appeared to be from my bank ( TD Bank ) that said that there had been fraudulent activity on my account. It stated that a transaction of {$450.00} had been attempted at a XXXX XXXX, and to reply Y if I recognize it, or N if I did not. I ignored the text because I did not see any funds come out of my account, but then I received 2 calls from the TD Bank identity theft number, which was XXXX. I became uneasy, because I recognized that number to be from my bank. This prompted me to reply " N '' to the text alert, and soon after the TD identity theft number called me again. When I picked up, the man sounded like a representative of TD bank, and he asked me if I recognized this transaction of {$450.00} made at a XXXX XXXX in XXXX, Georgia. I said that I did not recognize it, and then he told me that my account had been compromised, and that I will need to transfer all of my funds into a new account and close this compromised one. I agreed, and he asked me for the last 4 digits of my social security number to confirm my identity. I believed he was a representative of TD bank, so I gave him the last 4 digits. He then used those numbers to get into my account and transfer {$2500.00} out of my account and into his account via XXXX. I was receiving text alerts and confirmations from XXXX about the transfers, but I didn't question them because I believed that the funds that were being transferred were going into a new account under my name, not the scammer 's. After it was all said and done, he said that the police will be investigating my account about the fraudulent activity, and that I shouldn't access my account for 24-48 hours to " allow for a proper investigation from the police ''. That was when I realized what had happened. I immediately went into a TD Bank branch and told them what had happened. I pleaded and asked if anything could be done to stop the transactions, as they were all still pending at that time. The representative told me that I could not do anything to stop the transaction if it is pending ; I must wait until it posts and then dispute it. After I had gotten home from TD Bank, I contacted XXXX and told them the entire story, and the account that the scammer used to receive all of my money ( XXXX XXXX. I asked if they could freeze the fraudster 's account so that they could not receive the money, but they just redirected me to consult my bank regarding this issue. Feeling helpless, I just waited until the transfers officially posted, and then I went back into a TD Bank branch on XX/XX/2020, and officially filed an ACH dispute on the {$2500.00} worth of unauthorized transactions. 2 weeks had gone by, and on XX/XX/2020, I received mail from TD Bank, stating that they examined my case, and found that an " error did not occur ''. I don't believe this was a fair decision, as I was under the notion that I was transferring the money to a safe account, and I also believed that I speaking to a TD Bank representative from the identity theft department, since he was using the number and speaking like a representative of the bank. I am aXX/XX/XXXXXX/XX/XXXX, and that was all the money I had for books, supplies and materials. I am feeling helpless, angry and confused at this decision, and I am hoping that I can gain the money back that I was wrongfully scammed out of.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation