Consumer complaint received 2022-10-04
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: WA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
In order to request a refund from a company ( XXXX ) I XXXX  their customer service number. I was told there billing department would be calling me back, which they did. This number and website appeared to be legitimate. The caller instructed me in steps to set up the refund which was to happen in Zelle. There were a lot of steps that first involved Zelle and then XXXX gift cards. There were three different Zelle transaction totaling {$380.00}. I questioned several times the legitimacy of what was being asked and was assured this was indeed XXXX  and that I would be getting the refund. I never got the refund. However, I include here the website, phone number and name of the individual that until last check, were still online. ( website : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX ). I immediately called XXXX, my credit union where the Zelle transactions happened and then XXXX and then XXXX XXXX whose card was used with the XXXX gift cards. Of course this was my fault, a very senior ( stupid ) moment when I believed I was talking to a reputable company and person. Yes, I clicked the Zelle button on my screen. However, XXXX was extremely helpful and understood the talent of a scammer and immediately refunded the payments ( about {$300.00} ). XXXX XXXX could not return the payments and offered no help whatsoever, not even an offer to refer me for canceling this credit card. XXXX also was very NICE but told me there was nothing to be done. This I was told on two different calls to their fraud department. When I went into my local XXXX branch I finally got some great help by a very astute " lead '' and later the branch manager. I was told to get a police report, which I did and a case number ( XXXX, WA XXXX ), restore my phone and change my bank accounts and credit cards. I was told I'd have 10 days to get the case number in for the ticket that would be submitted to Zelle. Instead, the very next day I got a form letter from XXXX that " no error occurred ... the transactions were initiated by you. '' Of course they were! My complaint is that NO ONE at Zelle or XXXX except the local branch were even interested in helping. Nothing to do. Really? Why could XXXX do something and show a model of customer service with no blame on the customer? This is egregious behavior on the part of Zelle and their cohorts the banks. Zelle doesn't even have a fraud department or a number to call. They could have called the individual who scammed me and talked to him. A website, an 800 number! With ABSOLUTELY NO consequences to these scammers, not even the big banks who own Zelle caring or even watching or doing anything to protect the consumer, in fact blaming the consumer what incentive is there for the scammers out there to anything but get more and more brazen. While Zelle makes money, the ( stupid ) unsuspecting consumer gets exploited. I would like to ask for Zelle to retrieve my money. It went into an account somewhere. It may be difficult at this point, but if there were regulations put into place for a delay of availability perhaps that would give Zelle time to change their procedures around this open invitation for scammers to act with impunity.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation