Consumer complaint received 2017-09-05
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
To whom this may concern, I am contacting you in regards to a recent issue at hand, that was terribly dealt with Chase Bank. Unfortunately, I became a victim of a scam and was disappointed in the way this whole situation was handled, as no one could help me resolve this issue. I was held fully liable for this problem, despite being the victim of the scam and fraudulent activity I encountered with the scammers. Unfortunately, I encountered this scam during my job search. I was wrongfully lied to by the employer who pretended to be a hiring personnel from a company known as XXXX. The interview process conducted online on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and I was informed that I had gotten the job as a XXXX XXXX XXXX, but a requirement for this job was the need of certain work related equipment such as laptops, printer, scanner, and software applications. I was told that I would be provided with funds to cover the cost of the equipment. I received fake checks that were from XXXX XXXX XXXX coming from XXXX XXXX University. I was not aware initially that this was all a scam, and that the checks were not good. The first check that I received was for {$1300.00} on XXXX XXXX, followed by a second check the next day for {$4200.00}. These funds were supposedly going to cover the cost for all the work equipment for the job. I was informed by the scammer posing as the employer, to deposit these checks and I performed the deposit of the checks via the XXXX mobile app. After depositing these checks I was informed by the scammer to withdraw the funds that I received, so for the first check after confirming with XXXX representatives that the funds that were deposited was good and nothing was wrong with the check nor the transaction, I had then withdrawn an amount for {$1300.00}, as instructed by the scammer. I was told to withdraw the amount in cash, and then deposit into the given account provided by the scammer. The scammer who posed as the employer instructed me to deposit the amount of {$1300.00} into an account that was supposed to be the vendor who would provide me the equipment for the job. The account was under the name of XXXX XXXX who also is a XXXX member with the account number as provided by the scammer XXXX. This deposit was performed on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. This individual who was supposed to be the vendor had received the deposit of {$1300.00}. I was informed that everything was good by the XXXX representatives that I spoke to in regards to the transaction and the money, but only to find out a week later that the check was bad, and that I was liable for that {$1300.00} as my debit card was restricted on the evening of XXXX XXXX, XXXX, as I had no access to both my checkings and savings account. A day after that deposit had been performed, I gathered confirmation and details on the employer as being a scam. Within less than XXXX hours, I alerted XXXX of this issue on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and provided XXXX with full details about this scam as well as the checks that I deposited. I was told that everything would be alright, and that I wouldnt be impacted as much as I was recently. I spoke to a XXXX representative who told me the restriction would be lifted after the bad check came back, and that my account would be fine. Also after a few days I returned to the local branch where I performed the deposit, and spoke to a XXXX XXXX, who helped inform about my account and its recent restriction that occurred. I had been provided details by the banker, that the individual who I deposited the money to, with the account number XXXX had some interesting activity occurring in his account and his transaction history was questionable and suspicious. Another XXXX banker who was the Vice President of a branch in the city of New York, had informed my father that this XXXX XXXX had a large amount of money within his account. Basically, this individual posing as a work-vendor to me, has a lot of suspicious activity and amounts occurring within his account. This individual with that account number was also the receiver of the {$1300.00} that came from the bad check that I deposited. My account fell victim to the bad check, which was the first check I deposited to the vendor who affiliated with the scammer. I was held liable for the {$1300.00} of the first check I deposited online. Despite all the evidence and account information I have of the scammer, XXXX could not help me whatsoever. I asked to see if there was a reverse charge possible to the account of XXXX XXXX, of the amount of {$1300.00}, but I was unable to be assisted with this, despite XXXX XXXX having a genuine account with XXXX. No action could be performed against him, but instead I was fully liable for the amount at hand. I asked if there was a way to freeze the amount of the {$1300.00} that was now in this XXXX XXXX XXXX account, which banks can easily do. I was being blamed and fully held liable for the {$1300.00} despite earlier confirmations from XXXX representatives as the check being good and XXXX further allowing this transaction to occur in the first place. XXXX made a mistake in allowing such an event to occur and not even properly notifying me about the situation at hand. My checkings account faced a negative in balance, as whatever I had in my checkings account prior the deposit was also taken, and I lost that money. To add insult to my conflict with a scammer, without my consent nor notification XXXX had withdrawn money from my savings account, for the remainder of the amount from the {$1300.00}. The {$1300.00} was the total amount I was held liable for, and XXXX withdrew the remainder of the amount from my savings account to fulfill the fee and restrictions on my account. I was told that an investigation would occur and that XXXX would help me in ultimately resolving this issue, but only to find out that on XXXX XXXX, XXXX that the amount that I was held liable for due to the bad check, was fully withdrawn out of my accounts. Being a college student, I needed the money that was in my account, this was my own money that I worked and saved for, but I wanted the situation at hand to be resolved, but only to NOT be notified about the withdrawal from my savings account. Without any notification from XXXX they just withdrew the money from the savings, and also without my consent. They made no attempt to resolve the issue. I was told I had control on my savings account to transfer money into the checkings, but instead XXXX went ahead and withdrew money from my savings to fulfill the remainder of the {$1300.00} fee. Despite relentlessly informing I ran into a scam and that I was fooled by the scammer into depositing a bad check, I was still held fully liable for the event that occurred. I felt completely mistreated by XXXX, and being a victim of this terrible scam I was also discouraged with the poor service of XXXX for the actions they took. I did everything possible as per what the Bank told me to do, yet they did n't even notify me when they withdrew the full amount of {$1300.00} from my accounts. I even reported this incident to the police and I received a case number. XXXX XXXX from the XXXX XXXX Police Department had also inquired as to why the bank took out the money without consent nor any sort of notification in regards to the withdrawal, as he also found it wrong for the bank to take money from me without resolving the scam at hand. Chase Bank did not bother to even help further with the situation, and was extremely unhelpful to their own client, as they had the audacity to not even inform me that they would take out money from my savings account without my consent or awareness of that withdrawal. 

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation