Consumer complaint received 2022-10-01
Company: BOEING EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION
State: WA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
In order to request a refund from a company ( XXXX ) I googled their customer service number. I was told there billing department would be calling me back, which they did. This number and website appeared to be legitimate. The caller instructed me in steps to set up the refund which was to happen in XXXX. There were a lot of steps that first involved XXXX and then XXXX gift cards. There were XXXX different XXXX transaction totaling {$380.00}. I questioned several times the legitimacy of what was being asked and was assured this was indeed XXXX and that I would be getting the refund. I never got the refund. However, I include here the website, phone number and name of the individual that until last check, were still online. ( website : match care services, XXXX, XXXX XXXX ). I immediately called BECU, my credit union where the XXXX transactions happened and then XXXX and then XXXX XXXX whose card was used with the XXXX gift cards. Of course this was my fault, a very senior ( stupid ) moment when I believed I was talking to a reputable company and person. Yes, I clicked the XXXX button on my screen. However, XXXX was extremely helpful and understood the talent of a scammer and immediately refunded the payments ( about {$300.00} ). XXXX XXXX could not return the payments and offered no help whatsoever, not even an offer to refer me for canceling this credit card. BECU also was very NICE but told me there was nothing to be done. This I was told on XXXX different calls to their fraud department. When I went into my local BECU branch I finally got some great help by a very astute " lead '' and later the branch XXXX. I was told to get a police report, which I did and a case number ( XXXX, WA XXXX ), restore my phone and change my bank accounts and credit cards. I was told I'd have 10 days to get the case number in for the ticket that would be submitted to XXXX. Instead, the very next day I got a form letter from BECU that " no error occurred ... the transactions were initiated by you. '' Of course they were! My complaint is that NO ONE at XXXX or BECU except the local branch were even interested in helping. Nothing to do. Really? Why could XXXX do something and show a model of customer service with no blame on the customer? This is egregious behavior on the part of XXXX and their cohorts the banks. XXXX doesn't even have a fraud department or a number to call. They could have called the individual who scammed me and talked to him. A website, an XXXX number! With ABSOLUTELY NO consequences to these scammers, not even the big banks who own XXXX caring or even watching or doing anything to protect the consumer, in fact blaming the consumer what incentive is there for the scammers out there to anything but get more and more brazen. While XXXX makes money, the ( stupid ) unsuspecting consumer gets exploited. 

I would like to ask for XXXX to retrieve my money. It went into an account somewhere. It may be difficult at this point, but if there were regulations put into place for a delay of availability perhaps that would give XXXX time to change their procedures around this open invitation for scammers to act with impunity.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation