Consumer complaint received 2017-11-23
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: TX
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
Recently my wife had received information regarding XXXX XXXX and she thought it might be a good way to make a few extra bucks to use towards non-profit fundraising activities in which she participates. After she signed up she received a check in the mail on Friday XX/XX/XXXX, and was told to deposit the proceeds into our personal account and then withdraw funds to use for shopping and rating the experiences. The check was in the amount of {$2400.00}. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, she deposited the check at the Capital One located on XXXX XXXX XXXX and understood they wanted her to withdraw the funds for the purpose of shopping to rate experiences at different businesses. XXXX initially misunderstood the instructions and withdrew the amount of {$200.00} and then made contact with the XXXX XXXX person to find out the next steps. The individual clarified that she was to withdraw {$2200.00} and purchase a {$20.00} XXXX card as her first assignment. She was asked to contact them again once the withdrawal was completed. 

The following day, Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX she withdrew the {$2200.00} and was advised by the contact with the XXXX XXXX company that they would have various shopping assignments each day and to randomly select a number from 1 to 10. XXXX chose 3 and was instructed to text an address for the closest Capital One and XXXX XXXX XXXX to her location. At that time she was driving in the area near XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, so she provided the addresses for the Capital One at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX and a XXXX XXXX XXXX located at XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX was then instructed to go to Capital One to deposit the {$2200.00} to account number XXXX under the name of XXXX XXXX and while making this transaction she was provided the task to rate her experience so that she could complete a survey rating the smartness of the cashier, customer service professionalism, reaction of personnel under pressure and any additional observations.This deposit was made the same day ( XX/XX/XXXX ). 

At this point being charged with the task to perform the survey she deposited the proceeds as instructed and then let the party know the deposit was completed. They provided further instruction to photograph the deposit slip and make a detailed report to send with the copy of the deposit slip via email. She was then asked to write on the deposit slip " cash deposited into correct account and ca n't be refunded '' with her full name, date & signature. They also provided an address to mail this to. This instruction made XXXX suspicious and after thinking through the entire turn of events she further researched the company name to find that the people she was dealing with were not operating in a manner consistent with how the XXXX XXXX company ( XXXX ) would have acted. 

She decided to go to the branch on XXXX XXXX and speak to a XXXX about her concerns. She met with XXXX XXXX about an hour or XXXX after making the deposit at the other branch. XXXX XXXX let her know that he was able to obtain the original check back from the location on XXXX XXXX XXXX and also that the proceeds were still in the other account. XXXX also gave XXXX the envelope with the original {$200.00} and XXXX to equal the remainder of the original check deposited. Under suspicion that this was fraudulent activity XXXX took action and informed XXXX that the other account she deposited the {$2200.00} into was frozen so the proceeds could not be moved or withdrawn. Our account was also frozen until this mess could be sorted out.. 

At this point I was contacted by my wife, XXXX, and made aware of what was going on. I left work to meet her at the Capital One so that I could get a better understanding of what had transpired and what would be the resolution. I was under the assumption and provided assurance from XXXX that we would not be liable for the fraud which my wife was victimized by and that once the matter was resolved our account would be no longer frozen. XXXX said this kind of activity was not uncommon and he was confident that the check we were given to deposit would turn out bad. He let us know that the matter would be turned over to the fraud department. 

On Friday, XXXX XXXX XXXX called the fraud department for Capital One, but they had closed for the day. They returned her call Monday XXXX XXXX and she spoke to someone in the fraud department that informed her that XXXX should not have shared the information regarding the other account nor made any assurances that we would not be held responsible for any portion of the losses due to the fraudulent activity. The incident was explained to the fraud department then they gave us no expectations of what might occur next other than Capital One possibly holding us responsible for someone else 's fraud. 

Since the initial meeting with XXXX we have been unable to log in to access our accounts online. We have a Capital One credit card which XXXX was trying to pay, however our online access appeared to be suspended and she was provided a phone number to call. Each time she called she was referred to the fraud department. The credit card payment is past due and we have no means to pay online and do not receive paper statements. 

Yesterday XXXX was finally able to log in and noticed that Capital One had debited our checking account for the amount of the bad check of {$2400.00} which left the account overdrawn by {$2200.00}. XXXX tried to contact XXXX going by the branch and she was told he would be there today. XXXX called the branch today and was told XXXX would not be in until this coming Monday. She was told by a banker that they would call her back within an hour to discuss this after they could find out what was going on with the fraud department. The banker never called back. Unfortunately we do not have the banker 's name.She also tried to call the fraud department yesterday and left a message which went unreturned. Capital One also charged the account {$35.00} for the deposit of the bad check yesterday as well. Later yesterday XXXX was able to view account transactions and noticed the balance had been credited for the {$35.00} and the negative balance of {$2200.00} was credited back resulting in a zero balance. The account was also closed. All we have are a few emails from the bank indicating we were overdrawn and we also have a Case Number XXXX which has something to do with their internal fraud investigation. 

We went to the police department in XXXX Branch today and filed a report for the fraud and were provided incident number XXXX and met with Police Officer XXXX # XXXX. The phone number on the police officer 's card is XXXX. We were pretty much told there was nothing the police could do to assist us.While we were at the police department all of our account activity was wiped clean and we could no longer view any transaction history. 

We also went by a branch asking for a District Manager 's contact information and were provided only an email address for a XXXX XXXX and when we tried to email them the email bounced back indicating no such address. We have tried to work with the bank, but they have not seemed willing or able to let us know any details as to what was going on. The past few days they have not been returning calls or being available when previously telling us they would be.. 

We have concerns over how we are being treated as though we perpetrated the fraud, when we along with the bank were victimized. The bank however as previously informed by XXXX was successfully able to block the proceeds in the account in which the cash was deposited into and in addition, XXXX the local branch manager was given the envelope with the remaining {$200.00} to make Capital One whole. However our account remains locked where we can not manage our credit card and our existing balance of {$250.00} was inexplicably taken by the bank. It makes no sense to us that we got no notification of this pending action, nor why our funds would be taken by the bank when they had the deposit already secured from the other account.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation