Consumer complaint received 2023-09-01
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
My phone number was ported to another phone XX/XX/2023. I learned that a hacker had changed the passwords on my online banking account and my email on XX/XX/2023. I was able to get back into my hacked email on XX/XX/2023 and found receipts for purchases on my XXXX account. I immediately called XXXX to report it. There were charges on XX/XX/XXXX for {$64.00}, and {$220.00}, and XXXX, and later on I found charges on XX/XX/XXXX for {$2.00}, {$170.00}, ( a money transfer the perpetrator sent from my checking account to my hacked XXXX account for {$100.00} ). On XXXX XXXX there was a charge for {$110.00}, and on XXXX XXXX the perpetrator sent {$400.00} from an account my wife had ( XXXX XXXX XXXX opened over XXXX years earlier and never used. The perpetrator also opened a XXXX Debit card and charged {$230.00} to XXXX, {$74.00} to XXXX, and {$19.00} and {$9.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Although I have called many times on many days, XXXX refused to take my new phone and new email -- and continued send messages to the hacked email. They have refused to return the {$100.00} sent from my checking account when the perpetrator had control over the weekend, and refused to send me the {$170.00} taken out of my account via XXXX. They say they returned the {$400.00} to my wife 's account, but try to charge my account {$25.00} ( like an insufficient funds fee -- because the perpetrator had tried to move {$400.00} from my wife 's account to my hacked account ). The refused to return {$270.00}, demand {$25.00} for actions not taken by me, and wrongfully claimed an action they labeled XXXX ( email from XXXX to hacked email dated XX/XX/2023 XXXX PM ) for {$57.00} had been initiated by my " ... financial institution or a credit card company '' Transaction ID XXXX could not be investigated or decided " ... because we don't have access to your financial institution 's investigation details. '' When I contacted my financial institution they said they never had contacted XXXX. I do remember a charge made to my XXXX XXXX account around the time of all these transactions made which was simply labeled " XXXX ''. What other information would XXXX need to do their investigation? Why will they not deal with the person who was hacked instead of sending everything to the hacked email which can be viewed by the hacker? Why did XXXX send an emails to my old, hacked account ( surfwill @ XXXX ) saying things like " If we don't receive a response from you before XX/XX/2023, this case will be closed and decided in your buyer 's favor '' ( email from XXXX XX/XX/2023 XXXX PM ) and " We've completed our review of your unauthorized ativity case and we've determined there was no unauthorized use. The payment in question was sent as part of a billing agreement you previously set up with the merchant. '' ( from XXXX, sent XX/XX/2023 at XXXX PM re : case update XXXX XXXX XXXX There have been other emails stating that they determined the purchase was valid " based upon your buying history ''. There were XXXX purchases made between XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX XXXX and at least XXXX were for car parts. The last time I legitimately used XXXX was in XXXX to make a {$10.00} political donation. I have rarely used XXXX and never for car parts, and my wife never has. The only spending record they could have based it upon was the record of the perpetrator which I reported first to XXXX on XX/XX/2023 and made repeated efforts on many occasions since. I have sent at least XXXX letters to XXXX requesting them to admit these were not my expenditures and to clear up negative reporting on my credit history. They did return a {$110.00} expenditure made to XXXX XXXX and a {$2.00} expenditure made XX/XX/2023. The {$100.00} which the perpetrator sent to my hacked XXXX account and used should be returned, the {$170.00} taken from my checking account via XXXX should be returned, and the {$25.00} charge for the perpetrator attempting to receive {$400.00} from my wife 's account which he had also hacked, should be nullified. I have had nothing in writing from XXXX stating that I owe nothing on any of the other charges made, that they have not notified the credit reporting companies of the fraudulent enquiries resulting in a XXXX debit card ( which arrived at my home long after he made at least XXXX purchases with it ), and have had to wait on hold twice for over XXXX minutes just yesterday -- only to be told I would have to be transferred yet again to another department. XXXX has continuously used the old, hacked email for communication. It is only because I was able to get back in to the hacked account that I have found over XXXX communications that I presume were meant for their customer, which should have been me. It appears to me that XXXX intends to hold me XXXX. My credit report has fallen from over XXXX to XXXX, because my credit usage went from XXXX to XXXX The enquiry for the XXXX XXXX XXXX is still there. Please help.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief