Consumer complaint received 2024-10-01
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc (IL)

By : XXXX XXXX XXXX Dear members of the XXXX XXXX XXXX or the Federal Trade Commission, Through this letter, I would like to file a complaint against PayPal due to an incident in which I was charged a sum of money without my authorization and without having the said amount in my account. Below, I will provide a detailed account of the events that led to this action. 

Account of Events : On XX/XX/year>, I was expecting a money transfer from my colleague XXXX XXXX. However, since the funds did not appear in my account and I could not transfer them to my bank, I conducted a XXXX search to find a customer service number for PayPal. The number I found was : XXXX. 

I proceeded to call this number, and a woman answered, identifying herself as a PayPal representative. I asked to speak to someone in XXXX, but was informed that no personnel were available in that language, so I agreed to speak in XXXX at a slower pace. The supposed PayPal representative began giving me instructions, asking me to download an application on my phone to resolve the issue. 

Trusting the representative, I followed her instructions and downloaded the application, allowing her to control my phone and access my PayPal account. Once inside, I noticed something suspicious and ended the call. Later, I discovered that the supposed representative had sent money from my PayPal account to an unauthorized account. 

I then contacted the official PayPal number, obtained through their app, where I was informed that I had been a victim of fraud. The official PayPal representative explained that it is not PayPal 's policy to access customer accounts or request the download of applications. I was advised to contact my bank immediately. 

I called my bank, XXXX, who stopped the transaction since there were insufficient funds in my account to cover the {$430.00}. The bank also blocked any future transactions to the account that had been reported as fraudulent. 

Later, I informed PayPal of the banks intervention, clarifying that I did not have enough funds to cover the {$430.00} that had been fraudulently transferred. The PayPal representative assured me that everything was in order and that I could continue using my account as usual. 

However, days later, PayPal sent me an email stating that I had a {$430.00} debt. This issue became apparent when I attempted to use a {$30.00} deposit that I had received from XXXX XXXX, but I could not access the funds due to the mentioned debt. 

I called PayPal again to request an explanation. The representative claimed that the transaction had been reported in the credit section, but not in the debit section. I would like to clarify that I was never informed of this and was assured that the issue had been resolved. I proceeded to file a new claim in the debit section, explaining that I never had sufficient funds and that the account to which the money was sent had been reported as fraudulent by both PayPal and my bank. 

Subsequently, I was notified that the claim was denied, as PayPal considered that I had authorized the transaction. I insisted on speaking with a supervisor and scheduled an appointment for XXXX XXXX XXXX to call me. However, I did not receive the call on the scheduled days, and I had to contact PayPal again. 

Finally, I was able to speak with XXXX XXXX, who requested that I send a bank statement to verify that I had not received the money. I sent the requested documents, and days later, XXXX confirmed that PayPal had verified that the money was not received in my account. Despite this, PayPal refused to cancel the debt. 

I consider this situation unfair, as it has been confirmed from the beginning that I was a victim of fraud, both by PayPal and my bank. The debt imposed on me affects my financial life and could damage my credit, which is crucial for covering my basic needs. 

Request : For the above reasons, I file this complaint in the hope that this office can intervene and help me remove the {$430.00} debt, which I consider unjust. As a XXXX, I have the right and responsibility to demand that companies provide honest service to society, and I trust that you can help resolve this situation. 

Thank you for your attention, and I await your response. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX