Consumer complaint received 2022-01-15
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: CO
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/21, I received a phone call from caller ID : XXXX XXXX Customer Service. A man claiming to be an employee of XXXX XXXX informed me that there appeared to be fraudulent activity on my account. He asked if I had made a purchase in Georgia for {$1000.00} - I told him no. He asked if I made a purchase in Oregon for {$3000.00} - I told him no. He confirmed that there was fraudulent activity going on and asked me to open up my XXXX XXXX app and look at the last several transactions. He asked if I saw a couple amounts of less than {$1.00} and if I had authorized these. I indeed saw the ~ {$0.00} and ~ {$0.00} payments from unknown sources and let him know I didn't authorize these. I also saw a {$24.00} transaction that I wasn't sure if I recognized. I later found out that this was made to XXXX, although I didn't know it at the time. He then confirmed that my account was under attack but there was a way to get the money back. He proceeded to tell me to open the Zelle app right there at the bottom of my XXXX XXXX app. I had never heard or even seen this button before. He began to explain that they way " these perpetrators '' get my money is through this app. He guides me in how to set up an account for myself. At some point during this process, he let me know that a XXXX Zelle account had been the account that tried to take my money, so he needed to cancel that. He let me know that a text message would come in with a confirmation code that I needed to read to him - I did so without reading the entire text. I later found out that this text was a XXXX Zelle account set up message, and the confirmation code was to set up my account. He proceeded to walk me through how to add myself as a recipient through the Zelle app. I simply added MY name and MY telephone number. He made sure to advise me to enter my phone number and NOT my email address. Once the account was set up, I was instructed to send MYSELF {$1000.00} " to reverse the previous transactions. '' I did so, and I let him know that the transaction was complete. Through this process, I believe I gave him 1-2 more confirmation codes from my phone that came through as text messages, that I will provide. This started to concern me when I was that the {$1000.00} I had just " sent to myself '' was now missing out of my checking account balance ... .I began to worry that I was being scammed. As he was talking, I looked up the phone number this man was calling from. XXXX confirmed that it was the XXXX XXXX customer service number, so I began to relax again. He then tried to get me to reverse the other alleged {$3000.00} but my account limit had been reached ( thankfully ). I tried asking this man to explain this process to me because it wasn't making sense. He let me know that " everything is looking good and is under control '' but that I would need to call back in 24 hours to have the rest of the money transferred back. I asked if I could get a confirmation code, and he told me there was no need to worry because everything was looking good and was under control. I asked if I could go to the bank to finish the rest of this because it was starting to not make sense to me. That's when the man told me to absolutely not go to the bank. When I questioned him, he quickly made an excuse and hung up. I immediately rushed to my nearest XXXX XXXX and explained what happened. I asked if the Zelle transaction could be reversed and was told no, since it was an authorized transaction. I filed and claim, and the bank employee agreed that he had never heard of a scam like this. He also confirmed that the number was their customer service number. I asked him where the Zelle XXXX had been transferred to, and it looked like XXXX XXXX ( myself ) had been the recipient. I then asked him how I access that money, and he wasn't sure. The bank employee also warned me that he was now concerned that this scammer either had or was trying to access my credit. He explained that the {$24.00} charge was to XXXX, which I was previously unaware of. Immediately after leaving XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/21, I went to the nearest XXXX XXXX branch. The employee could not find a XXXX account under my name or information. She could also not provide any information on a XXXX Zelle account for me. I did call XXXX later. They identified 3 separate names of individuals I did not know, all of whom were linked with my old debit card number. All accounts were not currently added, so XXXX was able to drop the {$24.00} charge. They could not give me any further information on who contacted them with my bank number. I have attempted to call Zelle with no success in reaching a customer service representative. I have yet to discover the Zelle XXXX account under my name.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation