Consumer complaint received 2024-10-30
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc (NY)

My XXXX account had been suspended for my allegedly not following community guidelines on my XXXX account. The XXXX account listed in the notification was not mine. 
On XX/XX/year>, I located a phone number online for XXXX Customer Support. I called the number and the person phone told me that someone in OH was using my XXXX account to attempt illegal purchases of cryptocurrency and bitcoin. 
I was instructed to download an app that would broadcast the screen of my phone and record everything so I would have a record of our conversation. Under the guise of setting purchasing limits in each of my accounts, I was instructed to access my bank and transfer money from one account to another. All the while being reassured that no money was leaving my bank accounts. 
Then I was instructed to access my Venmo account, choose a person that I trusted and whom they could call, and make 2 transfers. The first for {$2000.00}, the second for {$2400.00}. I transferred these amounts to my sister. Someone then called my sister and provided her with a card number to reverse the money transfer. When I look at my Venmo transactions, it looks like there is a credit of {$4400.00}, but the money was never accessible to me. The transfer of {$2000.00} was successful. The transfer for {$2400.00} was denied due to insufficient funds. I went to my bank on XX/XX/year> to inform them of what was going on. A second attempt to transfer the {$2400.00} from my bank was made on XX/XX/year>, and also denied due to insufficient funds. On XX/XX/year>, I saw two more transactions one for {$1900.00} to my bank card, and one for {$2500.00} to a card that was never my card. I disputed this transaction, but my claim was denied because the transaction was made from the same IP address that all my other transactions were made from. On XX/XX/year>, I received an email from Venmo stating that the {$2400.00} had been denied by my bank for insufficient funds, but they sent it anyway! So now they are requesting a payment from me for {$2400.00}. 
My XXXX XXXX was impacted in the amount of {$570.00}. My dispute was denied for the same reason as Venmo. 
PayPalI was instructed to transfer {$1900.00} to the billing manager XXXX XXXX. My dispute was denied due to the transaction taking place through the me IP address, and had been sent under the friends and family option. 
While at the bank on XX/XX/year>, the bank manager assisted me in contacting each of these entities in order to file a claim. The number she located for Venmo actually put us in contact with another scammer! When I called him back he told me that someone had used my information to open a virtual credit card in Michigan, and had purchased {$2000.00} in gift cards. He told me I needed to purchase the same dollar amount in gift cards in order to show the bank that these 2 transactions took place within 24 hours of each other which proves fraud, and the bank would cancel them both. I filed a claim with each of the stores where I purchased the gift cards, but to date I do not have a response. I contacted my credit card company and was instructed to wait until the stores closed their investigations. I will be contacting my credit card company today, XX/XX/year>, to file a dispute with them. 
I have come to learn that this type of scam is called Authorized Push Payment fraud. The perpetrators of this crime create feelings of fear, confusion and urgency, all under the pretense of helping protect you from some other fraudsters. At this time, in the United States, it appears there is very little recourse as a victim of this crime.