Consumer complaint received 2020-02-04
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Check cashing service
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I placed add in XXXX XXXX XXXX  for room rent. A person identified himself as XXXX XXXX expressed interest in renting the room and send me check for XXXX . Check was issue by XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX , NV XXXX. The check was dated XX/XX/XXXX. I deposited it in my XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. I deposited the check on XX/XX/XXXX through my XXXX  XXXX XXXX mobile application. For the first 24 hours my XXXX XXXX XXXX account showed Check transaction was pending. After a day, on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, my account summary showed the check was credited to my accounts. Meanwhile, XXXX XXXX also sent me mail on XXXX that the XXXX $ was credited to my account and send the remaining money back to a account using Zelle transfer backed by XXXX  XXXX XXXX. Based on XXXX XXXX request i transferred XXXX $ to XXXX XXXX  using his Zelle account XXXX on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX $ to the same account on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. 
But the check was retracted on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX causing me to lose XXXX XXXX 

I complained about this fraud to XXXX  XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXXand XX/XX/2020 through customer service. But they are not taking responsibility and does not address my question 1 ) Why XXXX XXXX XXXX showed the check was credited to my account even before encashing/validate the check. How a lay person may know the check was fraud/ legitimate?. As a customer i relied on my banks account system to track if the check was valid or not. As soon as I saw my account was credited i assumed that check was not fraud and i made the Zelle transaction. XXXX  XXXX XXXX sends email message once i deposit check but never send message if the check is validated or not. I need to verify my account everyday to see if the check is withdrawn or not to know the validity of the check. Customer service mentioned that they understand the loophole and they can not do anything. Another customer service member mentioned that it is the banking rule, to credit the account even before validating the check. Scammers use this loopholes to trick the unsuspecting customers especially from XXXX where the check credited to account only after banks encash the money/validate the check. 

2 ) XXXX XXXX XXXX also did not help me to track the Zelle account. I used Zelle transfer to XXXX XXXX as it was backed of XXXX  XXXX XXXX. After i complained someone tricked with this account XXXX, Customer service mentioned me that they dont have control over Zelle account. If XXXX  XXXX XXXX does not control Zelle account, why should it support Zelle money transfer through XXXX  XXXX XXXX accounts. I could not get any info from Zelle about this fraudulent account. I could not find any fraud complaint option in Zelle website. I thought if i can transfer money to some account through XXXX  XXXX XXXX, the banking system should be able to provide me the details of account holder. From this incidence i learned that a faceless person can hold an Zelle account and disappear after scam without any trace. Unfortunately the Zelle is supported by many banks.

I might not the be the only person affected by this type of scam and i will not the last one as long XXXX  XXXX XXXX become more responsible in their accounting system and Zelle is accountable for the details of account holders with Zelle.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation