Consumer complaint received 2019-05-06
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: HI
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX, I received a voice mail message from an alleged computer repair company, telling me if I didn't contact them that day, another year 's subscription would be charged to my credit card, of {$290.00}. I've signed up with these companies in the past, so it was possible that they were legitimate. I called them ; they said I had a {$200.00} refund coming. They asked for me to allow XXXX access on my computer so they could do a final " repair '' of my computer and delete all the viruses, etc. I'd done this before with other companies, so I allowed it. They said they couldn't credit the {$200.00} to my credit card so I allowed them to credit the {$200.00} to my checking account. During that process, " accidentally '' the sum of {$20000.00} had been deposited into my checking account by their company instead of {$200.00}. I was shown the sum which was actually in my checking account. The man I was talking to, XXXX, phone number XXXX, said there was a mistake and asked me to go to my credit union and wire them {$19000.00}, to JP Morgan Chase Bank, to the name of XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, NY, XXXX ; Account No. XXXX because they had accidentally overpaid me from the {$200.00} they said I had coming. I did so. 

All this time, over about a week 's interval, the company XXXX allegedly worked for was supposedly working on my computer ; I was asked a number of times not to get on it while they were working on it, and a couple of times I was told I could get on it but not to do any banking because my security software wasn't up to date, which was true. So I never checked my savings account. 

The first wire transfer was XX/XX/XXXX, for {$19000.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX called me again and said his company had made another mistake and had accidentally paid into my checking account two deposits of {$20000.00} each, which amounts should have been paid to another of their creditors. He again showed me the page in my checking account on the computer and sure enough, two deposits of {$20000.00} had been made in my checking account. He asked me to again wire transfer to JP Morgan Chase the sum of {$39000.00}, which was done on XX/XX/XXXX. I still have the wire transfer documents, if that will be of any assistance. 

All this time, they were using XXXX to access my savings account which contained over {$64000.00} ; they were transferring MY money in {$20000.00} increments into my checking account, making it look like THEIR money was being deposited into my checking account. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I looked at my bank accounts and discovered that {$60000.00} was missing from my savings account and those were the three deposits of {$20000.00} that had been transferred from my savings into my checking account. I texted XXXX and he said he would check into it and get back with me. I never heard from him again, naturally. 

I went to my bank ( credit union ) and told the lady what had happened - she was the person who did the wire transfers for me. She tried to retrieve the money that was transferred but was unable to do so. She closed my accounts and gave me what was left in a cashier 's check. 

I called JP Morgan Chase who called me a couple of days later and said since I had voluntarily wired the money, and the account was closed, there was nothing they could do. 

It seems to me that if someone has an account at a bank, and that account is used for theft, that the account holder should be held responsible. If the account holder can't be held responsible, it seems that the bank should be held responsible for allowing money to be stolen from innocent people. 

Of course, all of this is done over the phone so there's no way to verify the truth of what I'm saying - all I have is my word. None of the texts are incriminating. 

I've tried to contact an attorney about this, since my research indicates a Regulation E which may cover my losses to some extent, but have had no luck contacting an attorney yet. I'm still working on this. 

I was also contacted the same day I discovered the transfers from my savings account by someone named XXXX XXXX, who claimed he was with the FTC and would be able to get my money back for me. He gave me a complaint number, which was nothing like the complaint number I got  when I filed a report with the FTC. His number is XXXX. I called the FTC and left a message to try and confirm if this person actually worked for the FTC, but I never received a call back. 

I filed a police report, also, and the police told me not to speak with anyone else about this matter if I couldn't verify who they were. I've also talked to the FBI. So far, no success. I'm still praying that I will get my retirement money back so I don't have to go back to work. I'm XXXX years old, and this is my living money - I need it back! If I have to file suit, I will do so.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation