Consumer complaint received 2023-04-05
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: TN
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2023 @ XXXX XXXX  I received a text from XXXX. The message said " Your account details are incomplete. Please verify now at XXXX? XXXX '' I clicked on the link, tried to logon using my user name and password. Logon didn't work so I closed the browser. ( See Attachment 1 ) On XX/XX/2023 @ XXXX XXXX I received a text from XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. The message said " XXXX XXXX XXXX : Did you attempt to use your card for {$240.00} at Target XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2023. If this was authorized by you reply YES, if not reply NO. Msg & Data rates may apply.On XX/XX/2023 @ XXXX XXXX I received a phone call from XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. The caller ( who I now know was the scammer ) said, " This is XXXX XXXX, did you just reply NO to the XXXXXXXX XXXX charge at XXXX? '' I said yes. Caller said " good, for security purposes we're going to lock the account '' I said OK. Caller hung up. Callers speech was heavily accented and phone line had a lot of static. 
( See Attachment 2 ) On XX/XX/2023 @ XXXX XXXX  I called the XXXX XXXX branch office at XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX, TN XXXX and spoke with XXXX. I told XXXX about the funny text messages and phone call. She said, '' I see no credit card transaction for XXXX in XXXXXXXX XXXX but I do see that a Zelle account was opened in the name of XXXX XXXX XXXX with Email address XXXX and a transfer request was submitted for transfer of {$2500.00} from your checking account XXXX to the Zelle account Email address XXXX. I said, my account has been hacked. I don't have a Zelle account and I did not request a transfer. Can you cancel the transfer request. XXXX said, " Can't cancel the request, it's in pending status. You need to go immediately to the closest XXXX branch and report this in person ''. 
I went to the XXXXXXXX XXXX  office on XXXX XXXX in XXXX, TN and met with XXXX XXXX. Asked XXXX to cancel the transfer request. He said that he couldn't. Had to let the request clear " Pending '' status and then file a request for refund of the stolen funds. Advised to return on XX/XX/2023, after " Pending '' status had cleared. 
I returned to XXXX XXXX in XXXX on XX/XX/2023 at XXXX XXXX  and XXXX completed a " Claim '' to be submitted electronically. I proceeded to XXXX Police Department and submitted a report of stolen funds ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) on XX/XX/2023 at XXXX. That evening received an Email from XXXX saying I needed to return to the bank to sign a hard copy of the " Claim ''. 
On XX/XX/2023 at XXXX, I return to Regions, signed the " Claim '' and asked XXXX for the phone number for Zelle. XXXX didn't have the phone number. I XXXX searched for Zelle Customer Service. First website for Zelle Customer Service was associated with URL XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. I clicked the " Call Now '' button and was connected with the scammers who proceeded to ask if I had any more bank accounts at which point I hung up. This URL is labeled " XXXX and XXXX XXXX '' in my search history. Believe the phone number associated with their " Call Now '' button is XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. 
Next, I called the real Zelle by dialing the central number for Regions and then keying in 2. I informed Zelle that the scammers were front ending their website in order to to intercept phone calls. Zelle said there was nothing they could do. 
Next I reviewed Emails generated by XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/2023 ( See Attachment XXXX ). The most relevant Email was an Alert saying they were unable to confirm the identity associated with the Zelle account created by the scammers. Said they would cancel the transaction unless called them to confirm identity. 
I never called Zelle to confirm but Zelle allowed the transation to execute without my confirmation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation