Consumer complaint received 2023-08-30
Company: CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
State: TX
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage
Sub-issue: Changes in loan terms during or after closing

Complaint:
Oh XX/XX/2023 we recieved email from XXXX XXXX and XXXX congratulating us on our closing and telling us that to be looking out for the closing agent to contact us real soon to begin the process. And of course every email said there was time sensitive documents you know so we was rushed to do everything quickly so we could avoid delays. 
So on XX/XX/XXXX we received an email from the closing agent XXXX XXXX at Cardinal financial. She congratulated us, and told us things that we need to bring to the closing such as our IDs and such but she also said that we needed to send the closing funds immediately via XXXX  or XXXX XXXX  to the title company so that we could avoid delay. which she sent us a link when I clicked on the link it showed the actual name of the title company on it just like it was supposed to. I did try an call XXXX on the number that was listed on her email which was Cardinal financial letter head and actual working page and I got her voice mail saying she would get back to me. Because I wanted r to make sure I was doing it right. I got an email from XXXX saying that funds of less than {$8000.00} needed to be delivered from inform of XXXX or XXXX XXXX so I let her know that I will be sending it via XXXX. XXXX sent me an email saying that I need to wire the money today to close to the title company trust account in order to avoid any delays. She then sent me a a secure message from XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX using the following cell information XXXX to close as a XXXX XXXX attorney at law then she told me to let them know when I sent it so that she can verify it was sent to so I sent {$3.00}, XXXX my bank would only allow me to send that much at one time I told her I would send the remainder in just a few minutes, I tried to send the rest but my bank wouldn't allow me to so I drove to the bank to see what the problem was and they said I had a certain amount I was allowed to send per day so I said that I would call XXXX back and she didn't answer so I would send her the remainder within 24 hours well then 24 hours when I got up the next day I tried to send the remainder of it to her and the email wasn't working so I got nervous and I contacted XXXX and XXXX said that hold on a second he went in and spoke to XXXX, XXXX then got back on the phone and told me not to send any more money to anyone and to contact my bank and the fraud department and let them know that we have been subject to fraud and he also said he was going to contact their fraud department as well. 
So I contacted my fraud department of my bank and they said that there was nothing that they could do because it was sent through a XXXX so I had to approve the transaction. I then contacted XXXX back and told him that my bank said that there was nothing they could do because, I had to approve the transaction to go through on it. XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX told me that that should fall back on Cardinal financial because they were the ones whose email got phished and they're the reason why my information intervened by a outsider a hacker so they should be liable for returning my funds. Upon talking to Cardinal financial fraud department they told me that there was nothing they could do that all their security measures was in place and they sent me a XXXX {$100.00} gift card for the inconvenience. She also told me that they were still looking into it and if something changed she would let me know I just started crying because that was the funds that my husband and I had saved up for when we actually was able to move into the house so that we could buy like a mattress and stuff for our bed and a few things you know like furniture and stuff so that we could kind of start fresh in our new house she said all she could say was she was sorry and that she hopes {$100.00} gift card would help. Cardinal financial knew how much funds we had they knew what we needed to get in the house you know once we got in the house they knew we needed a refrigerator they knew we needed a hot water heater, and how far we were moving from our previous home which was over four and a half hours away. 
we close on XXXX the XXXX I'm still sleeping on the floor I had to borrow furniture from my daughter so that I could have something to sit on in the living room my thank XXXX my real estate agent gave me a table and chairs and a buffet, after weeks of keeping my food in a cooler I finally was able to barrow a fridge. 
{$3300.00} don't seem like a lot of money to some people, to us it is because as I said before we worked hard for every XXXX we have, and it's not fair for us to be the ones suffering, behind negligence of Cardinal financial email security. As a result of their negligence we're still sleeping on the floor. 
One last thing I think Cardinal financial should send out a detailed list of things to expect and not to expect. And something they need to add to their to-do list is to let people know that they are never to send any cash via XXXX or XXXX XXXX, nobody ever told me that how I was supposed know not to. This was our first time buying a home and have never done any of this before now. Every email I got from them it was a time-sensitive matter and I done what they asked me to do Everytime before as soon as I got there emails. They never ever said not to send cash on any of the documents that were sent to us prior to closing or upon closing. 
I also sent Cardinal financial all the information they needed so they could try to catch the person that did the phishing of their emails even the person 's XXXX XXXX information the phone numbers the emails I sent them everything and then they tell me that they can't help me they send me {$100.00} gift card. Which I still have I haven't cashed it. There was no apology letter or anything else in the envelope I received it was just {$100.00} gift card.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation