Consumer complaint received 2023-01-10
Company: HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK, THE
State: MN
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
After applying for work on an online site, I was offered a proofreading position on XX/XX/XXXX and on the next day put into contact with alleged employers of XXXX magazine, represented by a " XXXX XXXX '' via XXXX who informed me I would be sent funds ( {$2000.00} ) to pay for supplies needed for work which would come as a check in .pdf form. I was instructed by XXXX to use my bank, XXXX 's, mobile deposit feature to deposit the check and further instructed to send 2 {$1000.00} increments to a " local vender, '' using XXXX to a party identified as XXXX XXXX at XXXX, to acquire the needed supplies ( I did inquire with my bank about depositing the sent check in such a way and they actually advised me how to do it ). 

XXXX seemed to approve the deposit, having the transaction change from " pending '' to not- '' pending '' the next day ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and even assuring {$500.00} was readily available ; I believed the funds were received and was only able to send one {$1000.00} transaction as there was a {$1500.00} limitation to XXXX XXXX. 

I contacted XXXX to inform her of the limitations and even offered to send an additional {$500.00} as I was eager to receive the needed supplies and starting work. XXXX then became insistent I contact to bank and request they lift the limitation. When I next contacted the bank with this request they informed me this was a known scam and they would suspend the {$2000.00} deposit. At first I was in disbelief as they had apparently approved the {$2000.00} deposit and made me believe it was legit but then said due to me being a " first level '' customer with no history of bad checks they approved the deposit in full before actually confirming funds were deliverable ; hence, that {$1000.00} XXXX payment came from my own funds. XXXX then informed me they'd hold the deposit ( sending an email that day confirming this ) and dispute the XXXX transaction which had gone through already. They advised me to cease contact with XXXX and send no more money. XXXX, meanwhile, would attempt communication with me throughout the XXXX weekend and a couple of days following, even suggesting sending the rest of the money to a different XXXX account. 

In the time that followed, XXXX continued to send me contradictory communication : on XX/XX/XXXX they sent an email saying {$2000.00} was withdrawn from my account, seemingly indicating they were removing the amount I was erroneously made to believe went through. The next day they sent an email then saying the deposited check didn't go through and was returned. Then on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX then sent an email saying the deposit hold was released and the {$2000.00} deposited in my account. However, that day I then received XXXXwo hard copy items in my mailbox : one was a returned deposited item notice dated XX/XX/XXXX that included a copy of the {$2000.00} check sent to me by XXXX that was described as " altered/fictitious '', which included wording a fee would be charged to me for it being returned ; the other was a notice dated XX/XX/XXXX saying the {$2000.00} would be available on XX/XX/XXXX, emphasizing " a portion '' of that deposit would be made available for immediate withdrawal, as per their " funds availability policy '', which seems a pretty insecure practice to me as it misled me. I later received another hardcopy notice dated XX/XX/XXXX saying the {$1000.00} XXXX transaction would not be refunded, claiming their research confirmed it was applied as I " instructed '', regardless of my reporting it as a fraud the day they told me the practice was a scam. Not once did they ask for the proof I had on my end showing I was deceived by " XXXX '' and others seemingly involved in manipulating and inducing me to fall prey to this in the form of screen grabs depicting the communication that was involved. 

In the days that have followed XXXX has frozen my account without informing me, making me delinquent in a credit card payment that has now resulted in my credit card being frozen too. 

I need help and hope the Electronic Fund Transfer Act ( Reg. E ) is applicable and can get my money and financial security back, especially at a time when I'm unemployed and have had too much taken from me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation