Consumer complaint received 2024-04-04
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Other personal consumer report
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing issue — Problem with personal statement of dispute
Company: KEYCORP (OH)

I graduated from The XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. From the day I graduated, and 6 months leading up to my graduation Ive been looking for a job. In XXXX I thought I had landed my dream job, but it's overwhelmingly evident now that wasnt the case, it was instead a scam. 

I am providing all of the documentation, but I thought it would be helpful to tell my story. I received an email from XXXX XXXX, a bona fide company based in XXXX XXXX, CA that creates and sells XXXX resistant beach towels, among other products. The job was for a remote position doing XXXX XXXX for said company, something I greatly enjoy doing, and wouldve excelled at in a true professional setting. I had applied to numerous jobs in previous days, so the listing likely originated from XXXX or Indeed. 

The interviews ( beginning XX/XX/XXXX ) were conducted over email and over the phone via text messages. Once I got the job, or what I thought was a real job, I was sent a contract and was told to sign and return the contract along with a copy of my drivers license, which I did on XX/XX/XXXX. 

As is good business practice, my parents had their attorney review the contract for me. He told me to ask some questions regarding withholding taxes for Fed, State, and local, whether or not the employer matches or contributes to a 401K, and whether or not health insurance is covered at their expense. Otherwise, we felt that the contract looked legitimate, and after having my questions answered by the supposed interviewer to a degree I deemed adequate, I continued interaction. I have enclosed the contract for your review. 

I was told by XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX that I would be sent a check to purchase a computer and equipment needed to perform my new job. From my knowledge, I recognized the equipment they mentioned, and the prospect of not only owning but using such equipment for my job left me something beyond excited. 

Much to my dismay, I was sent a PICTURE of a check for {$4900.00} XX/XX/XXXX. I was told to print the picture and deposit it via my mobile banking app. This seemed odd to me, but due to the fact that this was to be my first job in the real world ( or so I thought ), and that the location of the company itself was far different from my home state, I assumed that maybe laws and employment processes worked differently there than they did here. Clearly, my assumptions proved wrong. 

Still, that same day, on XX/XX/XXXX I went to my Key Bank branch and spoke with the branch XXXX named XXXX. I showed him the picture of the check, and asked him what he thought. He told me it seemed a little odd due to the lack of an address under the company name, but if I were to proceed then I should do so with caution. 

Still wary, I had my dad call XXXXXXXX XXXX, the bank that the check was drawn on, and explained the situation. He gave them the routing and account number on the check, and although they couldnt tell him much, they did confirm that it was in fact XXXXXXXX XXXX account. This is what sold me on the idea of depositing the check, my thinking was that if the check came from the real company, then that would rectify all the strangeness of the situation. 

Per the suggestion of my dad, I opened a new account with Key Bank ( I had at that point already had a checking and savings account with Key Bank for several years ) thinking that if anything fishy was going on, this would protect my existing accounts, and Key Bank as well. I printed and deposited the check into that new account. After speaking with my parents we decided that I would not go out and purchase a computer or equipment until I knew that the check had cleared. 

Despite all of this, I was growing increasingly uneasy. I reached out to the XXXX XXXX customer service department via the telephone number on their website, because this was the only contact I could find for the company, outside of the email and phone # that I had been communicating with ( the XXXX XXXX imposters ). 

Sadly, I received a text reply to my query that following morning on XX/XX/XXXX, letting me know that I had not been communicating with the bona fide XXXX XXXX, and that I was being scammed. Immediately after reading that message, I froze the new account I had created for this check via my mobile app in an attempt to stop the check from processing. On that day I spoke with XXXX XXXX. I signed a XXXX XXXX documenting the events of the previous days. 

After doing so, I immediately went back to my local Key Bank branch the second that it opened and let them know that I had been a victim of a scam, and the check that I had received and deposited was fraudulent. 

The bank XXXX froze all of my accounts pending an investigation. I was told it would take about 2 weeks to complete the investigation. 

I had no idea that I was potentially at risk of having ALL of my accounts not only frozen, but deactivated entirely. Worse still that my name has now been added to XXXX XXXX, a consumer reporting agency, and now I cant affiliate myself with ANY bank, something I didnt know could happen until more than 2 weeks had elapsed regarding the timeline of the investigation. I thought that opening a separate account would protect me and Key from any sort of fraudulent activity or scam. All I wanted from this situation was to justify all the sleepless nights I had searching and applying for jobs, the countless rejection emails, and maybe have a chance to come out on top of the job market, furthermore the game of life, both of which had become more daunting to me by the day. 

Please look carefully at all of the documentation that I am providing. Not only did I not get my dream job, but the accounts that Ive held at Key since I was 18 have been closed, and now it appears that I may never be able to open a bank account again. I sought legitimate employment with hopes I would be able to prosper, only to have the rug pulled out from under me, along with any hope I held that I could cross any financial milestone I had set for my future. I feel like I was made a victim twice, first by the fraudulent job listing, and second by the institution I thought was supposed to protect me from victimization in the first place. 

Furthermore, I filed a dispute with XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX ( after requesting and receiving their Comprehensive File Disclosure ). On XX/XX/XXXX I received an email saying that the reinvestigation confirms that the information contained in my file is accurate and complete as of the date it was furninshed ( by Key Bank ) to their database. The report indicates " Checking Account Fraud ''. 

First let me say, that with my name being on the Early Warning list, I am unable to open a checking account with any financial institution that checks my consumer report. Furthermore, I was the victim of fraud NOT the perpetrator.