Consumer complaint received 2022-01-29
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I write to you with a formal complaint against my credit card company, JP Morgan Chase, for failing to resolve two fraudulent credit card transactions I reported on my Chase Freedom credit card on XX/XX/XXXX. I have made numerous attempts to resolve the issue with them since I first reported the unauthorized charges on XX/XX/XXXX, and feel that Chase neglected to do their due diligence in investigating my case. Based on their negligence for the past nine months, I do not feel that JP Morgan Chase has any intention of fairly resolving this dispute without governmental intervention from the CFBP. 

I first noticed the fraudulent charges on my credit card online account activity after viewing concert tickets on XXXX. Two charges appeared in my statement activity : " XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX, {$430.00} '' " XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX, {$27.00} '' Since I had not authorized these charges or any charges of this amount, I called Chase and reported the charges as unauthorized and fraudulent. To the best of my recollection, the Chase employee I spoke to told me that there was nothing he could do about the charges, as they were " pending '' on my account, and told me that I could report them as soon as they posted. I am under the impression that Chase has the ability to stop pending transactions and I feel that it was negligent to not stop these fraudulent charges before they went through. This action would have prevented the fraud in the first place. I told the Chase employee that I was very concerned about internet hackers having my credit card information and he shut down my card and sent a new card ; however, Chase did not issue me a temporary credit for the charges I reported nor did they open an investigation until several months later. 

From the timespan of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, I was financially responsible for the two charges I reported as unauthorized, despite the fact that I did not consent to these charges nor did I receive any benefit from them. My right to receive a temporary credit within 10 days was violated. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Chase yet again and spoke to someone named XXXX in the fraud department. I recounted my story again to XXXX, explained that I did not authorize the charges and received nothing from them because they were clearly a scam, and XXXX told me that he would report the charges. I never heard back from XXXX, nor did I receive any acknowledgement in the mail or via phone that my charges had been reported. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke to someone in Chase 's fraud department named XXXX. XXXX told me that the charges XXXX told me had been reported had not actually been reported. XXXX told me that " I can assure you this will be taken care of '' and that I " should receive a credit in XXXX hours. '' XXXX was accurate in telling me that I would see a credit to my account, which shows a posted date of XX/XX/XXXX for the two charges I reported on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I thought this would be the end of my dispute with Chase until XX/XX/XXXX, when I logged into my online portal and noticed that {$460.00} was charged to my account again. I called Chase 's fraud department as soon as I saw the charges reappear, and on XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke to someone named XXXX in Chase 's fraud department. XXXX told me that he would put a lost card report and open the fraud claim, and that I would receive a call or letter in 10-15 business days. I also reported Chase to the Better Business Bureau on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I visited my local Chase bank branch in person in XXXXXXXX XXXX, and spoke to a banker named XXXX XXXX, who assisted me in communicating with Chase 's fraud department. While I was in the branch, XXXX called the fraud department on my behalf and tried to get answers as to why the charges were reposted to my account, since the paper letter I had received from Chase in the mail, dated XX/XX/XXXX, said that the investigation of my reported charges had concluded, and that I would be held responsible for the charges because I " received benefit '' from the transactions. Since I did not receive benefit for the two charges I reported on XX/XX/XXXX, I wanted to speak to a Chase representative directly who could provide me with a transparent explanation for their decision, as well provide documentation to support their claim that I " received benefit. '' XXXX was not able to put me in touch with someone from Chase 's fraud department who would provide me with an explanation, so I left the bank branch and went home to draft a paper letter. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a paper letter in the mail to JP Morgan Chase 's XXXX office in XXXXXXXX and requested in writing documentation showing Chase 's investigation and documentation for denying my claim for the two unauthorized charges. I also emailed the letter to XXXX as an attachment to have it dated digitally for my own records. I directly requested that my FDIC right to receive documentation pertaining to this decision be honored and to this day have yet to receive anything despite telling Chase that I have a legal right to said documentation multiple times. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I talked to a recovery supervisor named XXXX. After 35 minutes on the phone with XXXX, he verbally explained that the reason Chase denied my dispute for the two charges is because " I went back to the vendor '' that I had reported. This is not true and I have collected evidence to show that. When I asked him why he thought I went back to the fraudulent vendor, he said that in Chase 's investigation, Chase looked at my credit card transaction history and saw that I purchased tickets from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, and that I have purchased goods from XXXX XXXX XXXX dating back to XXXX. I did not deny this, since I have purchased merchandise from XXXX XXXX XXXX 's official store, and I did purchase tickets from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. What I have a problem with is the fact that Chase is assuming the two charges I reported as fraudulent on XX/XX/XXXX are the same vendor as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX store, when the merchant ID for these charges on my credit card statement is clearly not the same ( see attached ). I asked XXXX why Chase hadn't looked at where they sent the money to, since the charges I reported are most certainly not XXXX or XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 's official merchandise store ), and he said that sometimes vendors are listed differently on credit card statements. Unsatisfied with my conversation with XXXX and Chase 's flimsy investigation, the conversation ended with XXXX saying he would look at the details of the notes on my case and call back within 7 days. 

While I was on the phone with XXXX XXXX Chase 's fraud department, I received another call from Chase simultaneously. I listened to the voicemail I received on XX/XX/XXXX while I was on the phone, and it was from a man named XXXX from Chase 's executive office. XXXX said that a woman named XXXX was handling my case, and provided me with a direct number and extension which I could reach XXXX at. However, XXXX 's business hours are XXXX Eastern Time, which is not accessible with my full-time job on Pacific Time. By the time I received XXXX 's voicemail, I could not call back because their office was closed ( and he also mentioned XXXX was out of the office that day ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX called me back and explained that he would reach out to the executive office and would follow up with me. I told XXXX that I had been working on getting documentation from the two vendors he said Chase believes are the same vendor as the ones I reported as fraudulent confirming that they are indeed not the same, and he said that if I had documentation, to send it to Chase. XXXX said that if Chase can get documentation that the two charges I reported aren't XXXX, that they could give me my money back. However, XXXX did not provide me with a place to send the documentation I have been compiling in my own investigation. XXXX also said that he checked the " XXXX XXXX '' and that the XXXX XXXX showed the fraudulent charges were the same vendor as XXXX. I do not believe this to be true and demanded a copy of this evidence and have yet to receive anything. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter in the mail dated XX/XX/XXXX from Chase stating my claims are rejected by Chase and that their investigation was " thorough '' and I am responsible for the charges. That same day, my boyfriend called the CFPB on my behalf to get information that might be useful for my case. The person my boyfriend spoke to from the CFPB believed that I have a case against Chase due to Chase 's failure to give me a temporary credit during their investigation. 

Later on XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a written letter to my Chase secure messaging portal stating the following : " Per case number XXXX, XXXX 's letter is inaccurate and I do not give Chase 's Fraud Department consent to close my case. I have spoken to XXXX, a supervisor in the XXXX Department, on both Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, and today, Monday, XX/XX/XXXX. Per my most recent conversations with XXXX, I request an email address where I can submit documentation pertaining to my case. XXXX verbally explained that the reason Chase has repeatedly denied my transaction disputes is because of Chase 's investigation of my transaction history, and Chase has conflated my purchase from vendors like XXXX XXXX XXXX 's official store and XXXX with the unauthorized charges I reported in my dispute case. These are not the same vendors, which I have repeatedly said since I reported the 2 unauthorized charges on XX/XX/XXXX. I have documentation confirming that the 2 charges I did not authorize are NOT the same vendor as XXXX XXXX XXXX 's official store, nor are they TicketMaster. Please advise on where I can send this information to clear up Chase 's Fraud Department 's confusion. I also have documentation showing that my right to receive a temporary credit during the investigation within 10 business days was violated, and I have confirmed with a CFPB representative that this is illegal. I still have not received paper documentation from Chase justifying their decision in my dispute case, which I requested in writing on XX/XX/XXXX, which is also illegal. '' I received a generic response to my above message saying that I must call Chase. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notification from the Better Business Bureau that Chase had responded to my complaint, and Chase told the BBB that we had come to a resolution, which is not true. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from XXXX 's fraud department in response to the message I sent them asking for their assistance with gathering documentation. I spoke to someone named XXXX from XXXX 's fraud department, who said she would have a supervisor call me back. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX from Chase 's executive office and left a voicemail stating the following : " Hi this message is for XXXX. I received your number from XXXX, who called me on XX/XX/XXXX, when I was on the phone with a supervisor in the fraud department named XXXX. I have asked Chase more than once to communicate with me in writing, and ask that you refer to the message I sent to my Chase securing messaging portal on XX/XX/XXXX in regards to my case. Please review my message and I await your reply in writing. '' I did not receive a call back, nor did I receive a written response. Later on XX/XX/XXXX, a supervisor from XXXX 's fraud department named XXXX called me. According to XXXX, XXXX would not be able to provide me with a written statement confirming how their merchant ID appears on credit card statements, and explained that they can only provide this directly to banks. When I asked if XXXX could contact Chase on my behalf, she said that the request must come directly from the bank itself, which led me to wonder why Chase didn't already do this in their investigation of my case. When I asked XXXX if she could send me a confirmation about my purchase history for the year of XXXX, she said the only transaction she sees is from XX/XX/XXXX, and that she does not see anything from XX/XX/XXXX, thus confirming my belief that the charges I reported as unauthorized are indeed fraud and have no relation to XXXX. XXXX said that XXXX could confirm with Chase that the only charge she sees on my account from XXXX in the year of XXXX is from XX/XX/XXXX, which I do not dispute. Because Chase easily could have reached out to XXXX to confirm this information, I feel they are negligent in their investigation and have no grounds for denying my dispute case. 

To date, I have spent more time than necessary investigating my case, and that the burden of investigation should fall to Chase. I feel Chase is negligent in their failure to thoroughly investigate my case, and they have also failed to be transparent and provide me with the documentation that led to their decision, even though it is my right to see this documentation and I have submitted a request for it in writing.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief