Consumer complaint received 2023-06-27
Company: FISERV INC.
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Problem getting a card or closing an account
Sub-issue: Trouble getting, activating, or registering a card

Complaint:
Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Representative, Last year, the state of California, through their Franchise Tax Board ( " FTB '' ) issued payments to most citizens called the Middle Class Tax Rebate, aka MCTR, which was essentially a one time payment of up to {$1500.00} to help off set inflation and the high cost of gas/fuel in California. Payments were issued in XXXX of last year ( XXXX ) via debit cards through a company called Money Network. 

Long story short, I never received the payment but in XXXX of this year I received a Form 1099 that showed I had been issued a MCTR payment of {$750.00} ( via the debit card I never received ). It should be further noted that I qualified to have the funds directed deposited to the account associated with my previous tax returns but for some reason, FTB and/or Money Netowrk decided it was safer to throw an untracked debit card in the mail then to safely issue the funds via direct deposit. 

Anyway, I initially contacted the State of California FTB after receiving the Form 1099 to report I did not receive the one time payment and was referred to contact Money Network XXXXXXXX XXXX, the financial company, who issued the debits cards. However as described below, it appears their affiliate company, Fiserv Financial was also involved in the issuance of these debit cards. When I contacted Money Network, I informed the rep, who initially portrayed she worked for the state of California 's MCTR program-and not a private company, that I never received the debit card and only I had known a debit card was issued b/c I received the Form 1099. I was told that a dispute would be generated and I would receive notification within 30 days as to how the payment would be re-issued to me since I never received the debit card. The case reference no. assigned was XXXX. 

Of course, I never received a call back or a letter or an email or any correspondence at all, so I called again on XXXXover 4 months after the first call-and 9 months after the payment was supposed to be issued to me according to the state of California. I was told the investigation had taken much longer than expected because there was so much reported fraud from so many other California residents who had reported the same situation. I was also told that XXXX, the affiliated financial company had denied my claim initial claim made in XXXX because a PIN No. had been and the card had been drained?? Duh-that 's what identify theft criminals do, the steal the cards or info to use the funds by draining the cards..And again I NEVER ACTUALLY RECEIVED THE CARD. I could see if I lost the card or something happened to the card itself after I received it or the account information was stolen from me or I didn't safeguard the information after I received it but the card was never delivered to my house. I have no account details at all whatsoever. When I asked what the next step would be, Money network told me dispute the charges on the card BUT I don't know what the charges are since I never had access to the card or the account.

When I asked for more specific information regarding the debit card I never received, I was told by Money Network that they had no information as when the card would have or should have been received or any confirmation at all that I ever received the card. In fact, the Money Network Rep said her agency received hundreds and hundreds of calls a day reporting that other MCTR cards were never received by other citizens who qualified or that the cards were drained so they could be used by the lawful recipients and that many would-be recipients aren't aware of the fraud until they received the Form 1099 's as I did. The Rep further stated that the debit cards were not tracked in ANY way and they could NOT provide ANY confirmation that the card was actually delivered to me... but that I was responsible for the card not getting delivered to my residence. 

According to countless news stories I researched about others who did not received the payments and only received the Form 1099, these debit cards were stolen in bulk by organized crime and the fraud was wide spread and systematic and the debit cards did not include sufficient or adequate security features. I also know so many other people this also happened to that live in my area. The envelopes were shown on the news so every Mail Theft and ID Theft criminal knew these envelopes contained the debit cards when they were mailed out last XXXX. This was a systemic issue created by Money Network for distributing billions on payment cards by tossing them in the mail on hopes they will be delivered. That is the issuer 's incompetence-Money Network, not the recipient who never receives the card. Given that thousands of other cards were stolen out of the mail and fraudulently used it obviously was not very difficult for criminal to use these cards. Any safeguards, which are the responsibility of the issuing agency, were obviously not sufficient or effective. Any botched distribution program by California and it's contact companies. 

It should also be noted I was never notified of the fraudulent use of my card or that my card had been compromised and even after I reported the card was not received and therefore stolen, I was never offered a credit protection plan and Money Network is the company the allowed my information to be stolen by sending a debit card to me without any tracking or delivery confirmation to ensure it was actually delivered to me. Money Networks can't even tell me the approximate date of when I should have received the card. Even now, I do not know the extent that my identity may have been compromised as Money Network has not told what information was mailed with debit cards or how criminals may have exploited my identify or personal information. 

The burden is on the sender ( Money Network and affiliate Fiserv, not the recipient ). I subsequently emailed my additional dispute to XXXX as instructed by the Money Network Rep I spoke to on XX/XX/XXXX and never received ANY response back or even a confirmation that my dispute was received. Money Network will not take responsibility.to this happening to me and thousands of others. OBVIOUSLY any security features were completely ineffective and that is why so many were stolen and used by criminals. I also asked for Rep to call me back from their " escalation desk '' and in a recorded call, they ensured me a Rep would call me back in 24-48 hours. Of course no one ever did..further evidence of incompetence and indifference. 

I would also recommend your agency issue a records request to Money Network and California 's FTB regarding the MCTR program so you can see how many thousands of other debit cards were drained by criminals or not received by qualified residents who counted on this payment, but never received it. Although, I sent a second dispute as referenced above but I'm still confused by what I am even disputing? I never received the debit card so I never had account access to know what charges were put on the card to be disputed. Until the card is in my possession, I'm not responsible for it. My debit card was one of many thousands that never made it to the destination.

Please contact Money Network and their affiliate company Fiserv and tell them ( again ) to resolve this issue as I never received the debit card. 

XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) ( XXXX ) XXXX Reference : XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief