Consumer complaint received 2023-12-14
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc (VA)

I have had this Venmo account for years. Never filed a dispute except prior, except one for {$4.00}. On XXXX XXXX XXXX my wife noticed a pending charge on Venmo and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX checking account for {$160.00}. I immediately contacted the bank and Venmo. My wife then contacted XXXX and confirmed this charge was not associated with our XXXX account. I reported this to Venmo. Provided documentation showing the transaction history. Also, XXXX had been disconnected from Venmo on XX/XX/XXXX and I provided that email as well. They claimed the account would be frozen and no additional charges would be placed while they investigated that charge. Bank said I had to communicate directly because they were an independent bank. Venmo then placed another hold on my checking account for {$130.00}. This was the following morning. I immediately contacted the bank and Venmo. My wife contacted XXXX again and confirmed that this charge was not associated with our account. We provided all of this information to Venmo. Venmo assured me that they would investigate and communicate via email. Three days later at XXXX XXXX  I received emails stating that both situations had been resolved. Both claims were denied stating that these charges were in contrast to our payment history. Distraught I contacted them immediately. We then confirmed with XXXX again and had them email regarding the conversation. All of this documentation over 50 pages were downloaded to Venmo verifing that these charges were fraudulent and unauthorized. And are not associated with our accounts. XXXX is not able to even trace these transactions. Then this morning we realized there was another charge for {$24.00}. That was not authorized. All of these charges were made after the last authorized charge of {$47.00}. I wrote a demand letter to Venmo and provided them a copy. My wife went to XXXX XXXX XXXX today and provided all the information collected to them again. She even allowed them to visually view the XXXX transaction history in real time. They printed all the information and kept copies. I provided a copy of the demand letter to Venmo and to the bank, requesting that they investigate the unauthorized transactions. Once again the bank informed us that Venmo/PayPal was basically its own entity and had its own bank. Therefore, they said they could not investigate. Venmo pulled all three transactions directly from our checking account through ACH payment. I have printed all of the documentation. Venmo refuses to review the documentation. XXXX stated that the only charges that they would have made against that Venmo account would be listed in our transaction history. If the account was somehow hacked and individuals gained access to that information they have no way to trace those amounts because they are not associated with any of our order history. I removed all cards and banking information from Venmo. I will delete the account as soon as this is resolved. Only other way to prove these transactions are fraud is to print all XXXX tracking numbers and have XXXX XXXX  compare, and sign affidavit that he didnt delivery any other XXXX  XXXX other than ones in transaction history. I have more than proved this is fraudulent. This has caused a great deal of stress financially, as well as psychologically, on me and my family. Venmo was used to protect our financial information, but instead I have been violated.