Consumer complaint received 2020-07-13
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: NC
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem

Complaint:
Here is a brief timeline of events that I can access on the Venmo app. In short, two unauthorized devices accessed my account, resulting in a series of transactions that led to a net loss of {$890.00} from my account. Venmo 's user agreement protects me from unauthorized transactions, yet upon filing reports, Venmo freezes my account for a nebulous breach of their user agreement ( the reason is, of course, not disclosed, just like their investigation results ). 

- XX/XX/XXXX : A random stranger sent me two transactions of {$500.00} each. I did not notice this until later. 
- XX/XX/XXXX : 4 transactions totalling {$1800.00} were sent to a different stranger, who somehow got on my friends list. I also did not notice this until later. 
- XX/XX/XXXX : I attempt to use Venmo, and find it frozen. I talk to customer service via Venmo app to dispute the transactions and they inform me they have put an account specialist on it. 
- XX/XX/XXXX : I am informed via e-mail that my Venmo account requires verification with my photo ID. I provide it to them via their website, as instructed. 
- XX/XX/XXXX : An account specialist contacts me, who informs me they have reviewed my account activity and has denied my claim. Included in that email is that they are willing to review it if I provide them with additional information. I do what investigating I can ( which is limited because they refuse to help at all unless it is with an official police investigation ) and email him back with the following information : - I point out the specific transactions I wish to dispute again.

- I give out logical explanations on why none of the subjects make any sense ( topics such as medicine for parents, birthdays, sisters ) and offer to provide documentation supporting my reasoning.

- I ask that they check up on the locations/background of the two strangers, and tell them where I have lived for basically the past 20 years and offer to give them access to my social media and phone contacts so they can make sure I have no connection with them.

- Venmo has a tab on the app showing " Remembered Devices, '' which shows generally the location and type of device that it remembers. I notice two devices from random locations added to that list, one from GA on XX/XX/XXXX and another from TX on XX/XX/XXXX. On both of those days, I am in XXXX, and I offer to provide proof of that. I have never traveled to either of those locations ( except maybe passing through GA long ago ). In addition, the only device I have ever sent money from is my one phone, though I have accessed Venmo from a couple of computers before.

-XX/XX/XXXX : A different account specialist contacts me, telling me they have permanently frozen my account. I attempt to talk to a supervisor, escalate it, or reopen this case, but am given a canned response about how it can no longer be escalated and he considers the matter closed. In the process, I inform this account specialist that I am in the midst of talking to the other account specialist, but this one informs me the previous account specialist also already denied my claim. 

***After sending MANY follow up requests for the rest of XXXX, giving ample time of about a week for responses, including requests for information about how to secure my accounts and information about the case, which were all ignored by the account specialist until I followed up on social media, I finally got two responses, each time prompted by social media requests. This shows blatant disregard for their consumers ' identity safety, but I digress*** - XX/XX/XXXX : All of my questions were ignored, and the only thing that was sent to me was referring me to tell the police to file for additional information online. ( This account specialist wants me to tell the police how to investigate a case? ) I immediately reply with my questions once again.

*** I move to social media to prod for a response after two weeks, and also send an additional email on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : The account specialist once again ignores my question about how to secure my account and what information was accessed by the fraud occurring to my account. He finally responds that he denied my claim. 

The reference ticket for this exasperating chain of email was # XXXX with XXXXXX/XX/XXXX The other reference ticket freezing my account was # XXXX with XXXX XXXX. 

I have provided attached screenshots from the Venmo app, showing the unauthorized devices. For as long as I have had Venmo, I have lived in North Carolina, and all of the devices I used with it reflect that. There are also a series of 6 screenshots showing the unauthorized transactions individually, as well as 2 screenshots from my feed which shows them mostly consecutively. I have attached a screenshot of the scammer account 's friends, which are basically non-existent. The other scammer has no friends. Both of them have basically zero transactions besides the unauthorized transactions that I can see. These are clearly scammer accounts.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation