Consumer complaint received 2015-10-07
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: VA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Identity theft / Fraud / Embezzlement

Complaint:
My Father is a senior citizen, XXXX XXXX Veteran, and retired from the XXXX after 38 years. He is not internet savvy so I am filing this complaint on his behalf. His PayPal Smart Connect credit card account was hacked and PayPal is holding my Father responsible for the fraudulent charges. 

XXXX of 2015 was the last time Dad had an accurate PayPal Smart Connect bill reflecting his accurate charges. Dad uses the card primarily to make his Medicare Part B quarterly payments. He received his XXXX 2015 PayPal statement with {$950.00} worth of unauthorized charges ( minus his {$310.00} Medicare Part B charge ). There were XXXX charges made in XXXX, XXXX and XXXX, XXXX .... all on the same day. My Father is an XXXX elderly man who has never been out of the United States and does not know anyone from a foreign country. The charges are obviously not consistent with his spending profile. 

My Father called Pay Pal right away in XXXX to report the fraudulent charges and was told that PayPal would handle the matter. He received correspondence from PayPal confirming his report of the theft on XXXX XXXX, 2015. He was told the issue may take up to XXXX billing cycles to be resolved, and that a new card with a new account number would be issued to him. Dad wisely never used the new card for new purchases, but continued to make payment on the account while the matter was being investigated. 

His XXXX 2015 bill revealed XXXX MORE fraudulent charges all coming from XXXX, XXXX and XXXX, XXXX. ALL ASSESSED ON THE SAME DAY! On XXXX XXXX, 2015 Dad received a Fraud Investigation Form which he filled out and returned to PayPal via fax. Synchrony Bank sent my Dad a letter dated XXXX XXXX, 2015 informing him that they are servicing the account, received the completed Fraud Investigation Form and that they are investigating the matter. Dad 's XXXX 2015 PayPal statement indicated a Balance Transfer of {$2200.00}. which was the closing balance from the previous month, and no other activity. 

Dad 's XXXX 2015 PayPal statement shows the SAME balance with the fraudulent charges - minus the {$100.00} payments he had been making on the account each month. He received a letter dated XXXX XXXX, 2015 stating that " customer benefited from use of card/participated in the purchases '' and that he would be held liable for the fraudulent charges. My Father was livid by this time and called PayPal. The representative confirmed that Dad was being held liable for those charges. Dad was so angry he cancelled the card and closed the account. I learned of this matter a few days ago and immediately requested that my Father over-night mail all supporting documents to me, which I have scanned and uploaded and I am attaching to this complaint. 

That PayPal would find fraudulent overseas charges to be the fault of my Father who is an elderly XXXX man that has never been out of the United States and does n't know anyone overseas is beyond belief or comprehension. The charges are totally inconsistent with my Father 's spending profile ( and he has had that card for several years so PayPal knows what my Dad uses that card for ). My Father rarely makes purchases online and only does so through his XXXX account. He has bad knees, can barely walk and takes medicine. He is so old-fashioned that he still goes to the bank to buy money orders to pay his bills, which he mails in through the post-office. He uses the PayPal charges to manage his quarterly premium which are so expensive, it 's easier for him to charge them and pay-off monthly rather than a lump quarterly sum. The fraudulent charges are totally consistent with identity theft and Pay Pal is tacking on interest rates and making my Father pay for all of this mess.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation