Consumer complaint received 2021-05-21
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (CA)

ON XX/XX/21, MY XXXX-YR OLD GRANDMOTHER WAS CONTACTED BY SOMEONE SAYING HE/SHE IS CALLING FROM XXXX XXXX XXXX. THE PERSON ON THE PHONE SAID A REP WAS ON THE WAY TO HER HOME TO SHUTOFF HER GAS BECAUSE PMT HADN'T BEEN RECEIVED & HER ACCT WAS IN ARREARS. A COUPLE MINS LATER, SHE CALLED ME SAYING THE BILL HADN'T BEEN PAID & HER GAS WAS ABOUT TO BE SHUTOFF. I TOLD HER THAT WAS INCORRECT INFO & I HAD RECORDS TO PROVE IT BUT SHE INSISTED. SHE GAVE ME THE PHONE NO. PROVIDED BY IMPOSTER; WE HUNG UP & I CALLED THE PHONE NO. (XXXX). THE CALL WAS ANSWERED WITH A MESSAGE SAYING "WELCOME TO XXXX XXXX XXXX.... PLS HOLD FOR THE NEXT REP." AFTER HOLDING COUPLE MINS, REP IDENTIFYING HIMSELF AS XXXX ASKED "HOW CAN I ASSIST YOU TODAY?" I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. HE ASKED APPROPRIATE, GENERAL "UTILITY CO" INFO, I.E., ACCT #, ETC. & SOUNDED COMPLETELY LEGIT - EVEN IF HE WAS UNABLE TO FIND MY PMTS USING CONFIRMATION NOS - WHICH I THOUGHT HINKEY BUT HAD EXPERIENCED IT BEFORE. AS WE CONTINUED, HE SAID "HOLD ON WHILE I STOP THE REP FROM SHUTTING OFF THE GAS WHILE YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF THE MATTER." THEN, HE OFFERED TO PROVIDE GAS CO. PMT LOCATIONS. XXXX SAID PMT OF ${AMT SIMILAR TO PMTS FOR THE TIME FRAME MENTIONED} HAD TO BE MADE IMMEDIATELY TO STOP THE SHUTOFF. I TOLD HIM I WOULD MAKE PMT ON XXXX XXXX XXXX WEBSITE. XXXX PUT ME ON HOLD; THEN RETURNED & SAID I HAD TO XXXX THE PMT TO THE MGR ASSISTING ON THE MATTER. HE CONTINUED & SAID "DEADLINE ON THE COMPANY WEBSITE HAD PASSED & PMT WOULD NOT BE POSTED TODAY". I GOT AN UNEASY FEELING ABOUT USING XXXX FOR PMT & PUSHED BACK. EACH TIME I QUESTIONED THE PROCESS TO AVOID SHUTOFF, e.g., IF I MAKE PMT TODAY, HOW WILL IT BE REFUNDED?" HE ANSWERED "ONCE THE INVESTIGATION WAS COMPLETE, A CHK WOULD BE ISSUED IN 5-10 BIZ DAYS". XXXX HAD JUST THE "RIGHT-SOUNDING" RESPONSES & I THOUGHT I'D COVERED MY BASES... SO, I COMPLIED & MADE THE XXXX PMT TO: {NON-EXISTENT XXXX XXXX XXXX} MGR XXXX XXXX (XXXX-REG'D EMAIL: XXXX); WITH MEMO ON TRANSFER THAT READ "TO BEGIN GAS CO INVESTIGATION & PREVENT ERRONEOUS GAS SHUTOFF". ["REPXXXX" MUST HAVE EXPERIENCE WKG AS REP FOR A UTILITY.] XXXX STAYED ON PHONE UNTIL XXXX WAS COMPLETE (OF COURSE). HE OFFERED TRANSACTION NUMBER BEFORE I ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION. THEN HE THANKED ME (AGAIN, OF COURSE), WE EXCHANGED PLEASANTRIES & ENDED THE CALL. THE WHOLE THING TOOK ABOUT HALF HOUR. AFTERWARD, THE INCIDENT STAYED IN MY HEAD. HRS LATER, DECIDED TO CALL THE PHONE NO. AGAIN. NOW, MSG SAID "WELCOME TO DEPT OF WATER & POWER...".[OMGdness & HINDSIGHT BEGAN]. I PERFORMED REVERSE LOOKUP ON THE PHONE NO. - USUALLY DONE BEFORE CONTACT BUT TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE (IT WAS ALMOST 5PM). THE ONLINE LISTING SAID "TACTICAL MARKETING, INC. IN XXXX XXXX, TX". NEXT, WENT TO CHASE BANK'S WEBSITE TO HALT/CANCEL XXXX PMT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE; MONEY WAS IN TRANSIT & TRANSACTION PENDING. NEXT DAY, I CHECKED BANK ACCT & SAW XXXX POSTED. I CONTACTED CHASE BANK TO RECOVER THE FUND$ & HAVE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED SO THE PERPETRATORS CAN BE ARRESTED... THESE SCAMS MUST STOP! I WAS TOLD BY CHASE'S ACCT SUPV THAT CHASE BANK COULD (MORE LIKE "WOULD") DO NOTHING BECAUSE XXXX IS THIRD-PARTY VENDOR. "FLOORED" TO LEARN CHASE BANK DOES NOT PROTECT ITS CUSTOMERS - ESP ITS SENIORS! I TOLD SUPV THAT MADE NO SENSE; OTHER BANKS, e.g., XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX, REIMBURSE ITS CUSTOMERS & CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION. BANK CUSTOMERS SHOULD NEVER SUFFER LOSS FROM A SCAM... THANX (NOT), CHASE BANK, FOR THE CUSTOMER SERVICE!