Consumer complaint received 2022-06-14
Company: EAGLE BANCORP, INC.
State: MD
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022, I got an email from XXXX XXXX that they charged me for a computer service which I had never purchased. I called the number and spoke to someone named XXXX, who told me that they would give me back my money. 

But it was not that simple. He talked a lot and for a long time, until I felt hypnotized. I followed his instructions about where to go on my computer without realizing that he had access to my computer. After a while he said, Now I will send your money back. I said, Ok, send me a check. He said, We don't use checks, well send the money to your bank. Which bank do you have? I said, XXXX XXXXXXXX, and he said, We don't work with XXXX XXXXXXXX, give me another bank, so I said, Eagle Bank. He told me to log on and I did. He asked me to type the amount that the company owed me into the screen, and I typed in {$280.00}. Suddenly, a number XXXX popped up front of the {$280.00}, so it became {$6200.00}. I was shocked and said, I didn't do that! I erased it, started from the beginning and the same thing happened again. 

XXXX told me that mistakes happen, just erase it so I did, a second time. The third time before I erased anything, the screen again showed that an additional {$6000.00} was in my bank account. XXXX said, Oh, you have to give back the {$6000.00}. Go to your bank. I asked him where my money was. He said, Don't worry, its in the Soft (? ) account. Do you know what a Soft account is? When I said, no, he replied, There is a special account that keeps the money and releases it after XXXX hours, then the funds will go to your account. The account takes XXXX hours to be released. 

He told me to get into my car and drive to the bank. He gave me instructions for where to wire the {$6000.00}. He never stopped talking and asking me questions like, Where are you, Are you in the car, Tell me when you are in the bank parking lot, are you there yet? He said, The bank will ask you what happened, don't tell them that was a mistake. If they ask you why you wire this money tell them it is for an investment. The entire time, he was monitoring me. He told me that, once I was in the bank, I shouldnt talk to him, but I should leave the phone on. 

After going to the bank and wiring him the funds, I came home. Suddenly, I felt like I awoke from a deep sleep. I asked myself : What happened, what did I do? I called my brother and told him what had just happened. He picked me up and took me to Eagle Bank to put a stop on the wire transfer. Eagle Bank sent a message to XXXX XXXX about putting a stop on the wire transfer. 

XXXX called me from the bank. I don't know how he was following me and how he knew I was in the bank. He kept asking me, Where are you? What are you doing? Are you in the bank? Go home! I dropped the call and came back home with my brother. XXXX called back and argued with my brother about why we put a stop on the wire transfer. After that first day, XXXX called for several days after that, up to XXXX times a day. He left many voicemail messages on my cell phone because I never answered the phone. Unfortunately, my phone automatically erases the voicemail messages after a limited time, so I dont have copies of those messages anymore. 

My brother and I called XXXX XXXX and asked them about my {$6000.00}. They wouldn't give us any information. We asked to talk with their fraud department, but they said the other party needed to be on the phone in order to talk to me. The other party is the scammer, so why would he talk to the bank, and how would I get him on the phone with them? 

I asked Eagle Bancorp to find out where the money is. On multiple occasions, including as recently as XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke to XXXX XXXX, the branch manager at Eagle Bank, who originally said security would call me to help me. He also told me that it might take up to 90 days for XXXX XXXX to investigate and refund me the {$6000.00}. Eagle Banks security division never called me, and every time Ive called Eagle Bank, XXXX XXXX has been unwilling to do anything to help me. 

On XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX, I spoke to my local police department about this situation. They told me that they can not do anything to help. 

As of today, XX/XX/XXXX, I am still waiting to be reimbursed for the {$6000.00} that I attempted to wire transfer to XXXX XXXX but which both banks put a stop against. I am hopeful that you can help me get my money back ASAP.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation