Consumer complaint received 2024-01-13
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (TX)

On XX/XX/XXXX, we on behalf of our business authorized a wire transfer of {$97000.00} on our business checking account to whom we believed was our title company for a commercial property we were in the process of purchasing. On XX/XX/XXXX, we were informed we were scammed after learning our Title Company had not received the funds yet. I explained I received an email stating our funds had been received as of Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX. Our contacts from our actual Title Company confirmed that the wire instructions I followed were indeed incorrect and was scammed by someone posing as the contact from the bank we had been working with for months and needed to report it to our bank as well as law enforcement. The same day, I reported to Chase Wire Fraud immediately who created a case for us. They told me to also submit a claim with Chase Customer Claims. I immediately called Chase Customer Claims, created a case and was advised to report this to ic3.gov. I then made a report on ic3.gov explaining our situation and what actions had been taken so far. I continued to follow up daily ( business days ) with Chase Wire Research Team. On XX/XX/XXXX, Chase Wire Research told me that the receiving bank ( XXXX ) had acknowledged the wire recall request and would conduct further investigation. On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter via secure message through the Chase App stating our claim was denied since we authorized the charge and benefited from the authorized charge. I responded immediately on the app stating we do not agree with this decision as we did not benefit from the authorized charge. I received a response the same day stating Chase was still awaiting a response from XXXX XXXX. Each day I continued to call Chase Wire Research they stated they had not received any further updates from XXXX. On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX I received a call from the FBI agent assigned to our case report from ic3.gov. He provided me with a direct contact to XXXX XXXX as there is an update to our case and I would be able to discuss directly with XXXX  in finding out what needs to be done in order to received our remaining funds. I immediately called the contact at XXXX and confirmed they were able to freeze roughly $ XXXX out of the {$97000.00}. She stated that they responded to Chase requesting a hold harmless letter ( HHL ) that day after they received a reminder from Chase on XX/XX/XXXX. I called Chase Wire Research and they stated they had not received any responses from XXXX since XX/XX/XXXX when they sent a second acknowledgement. I explained that the FBI responded and I spoke directly with XXXX who confirmed they have partial funds frozen for us but all they need is the HHL. I was told we would have to request it from Customer Claims. Since it was now the weekend and end of business on Friday, I waited till Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX to follow up given the holiday. I was told again by Chase Wire Research that they had not received any response from XXXX. I called each day until Friday, XX/XX/XXXX when I decided to three way conference call XXXX XXXX with Chase Wire Research Team. Chase explained to my contact with XXXX XXXX  they had not received any response, she asked for which case number they were using and she said she had a different case number and read it out loud and Chase read the same case number she had at the same time confirming it was the same case that XXXX had responded. On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX I received a secure message through the Chase App stating XXXX responded on XX/XX/XXXX requesting a Hold Harmless Letter to be sent to two specific XXXX email addresses and that I needed to contact Chase Customer Claims to request the HHL. I called Customer Claims on Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX and was told that they are waiting for a response from XXXX as they do not have any updates requesting the letter. I explained multiple times what XXXX requested directly to the Chase Wire Research department. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was then transferred over to a supervisor within Chase Customer Claims. After several arguments back and forth, she then told me that our case was denied and closed and apologized that no one has explained that to us. I said, " so you are saying you can not help us, who the heck am I supposed to contact. '' She then stated we do not process hold harmless letters and I need to contact Chase Wire Research. I explained I was instructed to contact Customer Claims by Wire Research. After several more arguments she said she could not help me since our case was closed and they do not have any recovery rights. I said " Thanks for nothing '' and hung up the phone. I followed up with Chase Wire Research on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX and confirmed I indeed need to speak with Customer Claims as they are the ones who can request the hold harmless letter and have it processed. I called Customer Claims and was told I needed to speak with Chase Wire Research as they do not handle HHL. I explained that I was told to contact Customer Claims and they put me on hold again to confirm. We went round and round in circles until they put me on hold and came back to say their back office would process the letter. I even gave them the email addresses that it needed to be sent to per XXXX XXXX response to Chase Wire Research. I called for an update later that afternoon with Customer Claims and was given the runaround again and was told to contact Chase Wire Research. I told them both departments keep telling me to call each other. I was then told by Customer Claims that wire recalls are worked on with best efforts and investigation was still being conducted and may take 30 to 90 business days. I responded stating " All the investigation has been done by the FBI and Chase Wire Research team. The XXXX XXXX  responded requesting the letter in order to return our remaining funds that has already been frozen for us. Yet, Customer Claims is saying my case is closed and refuses to process this letter. '' I was then told that I need to wait and also contact Chase Wire Research. So I called Chase Wire Research again explaining what had just happened on the phone with Chase Customer Claims. They called Chase Customer Claims first and was told she understands my frustration because they also told her that I needed to speak with her department ( wire research ). She corrected the claims department, asked for an escalation request to be added to our case for the back end office to confirm if the letter has been requested or sent because Customer Claims was confused if the signed letter had been sent to XXXX or requested by Chase to XXXX. I was then instructed to call in the next 24 to 48 business hours to allow them to process. I called the following morning, Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to Customer Claims and received the same runaround and needed to contact Chase Wire Research. I called Wire Research explaining I am continuing to get the runaround and contradicting information. So the agent called Customer Claims and connected me with a new agent. I explained once more to Chase Customer Claims everything and that each day I am told they can not contact the back end office. So she put me on hold for several minutes and eventually got back on the line and confirmed she spoke to her back end office and confirmed that the Hold Harmless Letter was sent XX/XX/XXXX. They were waiting for signature from XXXX. I followed up in the evening with Customer Claims, was given the same runaround and was told they saw I had called earlier in the day, but there were no notes stating a letter was sent. I requested to speak with a Supervisor again, when I connected with the Supervisor in Customer Claims she stated that a HHL is automatically sent with a wire recall so that XXXX should already have it since XX/XX/XXXX. Then she proceeds to give me the repetitive response that wire recalls are best case efforts and take 30 to 90 business days to process. She then said if I would allow them time to work on it, it probably could get done. I continued to explain I do not understand why Chase will not process the letter for XXXX as XXXX has already stated in writing to Chase Wire Research that they need this letter in order to return our remaining funds. I was then told that Chase does not have any responses and they can only go by the notes in our case. I then asked who did the agent from Customer Claims speak to confirming that a letter was in fact sent and then she said I am not sure who she spoke to as there are no notes on your case stating that a letter was sent on XX/XX/XXXX. I eventually got tired speaking with her because I was given the runaround again and said I would be calling again tomorrow. I then followed up by calling Chase Wire Research team and explained everything that had happened so far. My agent with Chase Wire Research contacted Customer Claims to see if in fact a letter was sent because her team does not send the hold harmless letters, she said she did get a confirmation from Customer Claims that it was sent and she was going to request to the investigation team to reopen our case and notify XXXX XXXX  that the letter was sent. I called Chase Wire Research Team again to see if our case had been reopened and it was still in process. So I contacted our contact with XXXX asking if they had received anything, she called back stating nothing has been received and they do not have any responses from Chase anymore since they responded on XX/XX/XXXX. At this time no further updates have been made. It is very frustrating to be sent back and forth and no progress is being made when Chase already has a response from XXXX stating the last step in order to return our remaining funds. It feels like they are purposely waiting the full 90 business days. I called Chase Customer Claims on Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX and was told the hold harmless letter was sent by Chase to XXXX on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX. I responded stating that I was told the letter was sent XX/XX/XXXX and they said Im not sure but it was sent on Tuesday and to expect a call on Thursday or Friday of this week. I proceeded to ask who it was sent to and was told they sent it to XXXX and Wire Research should be taking care of it and they would transfer me to a specialist in Wire Research. I was then transferred to Chase Operational Services. I explained our case starting at the very beginning and where we are now. She said normally she would recommend to speak with Wire Research but instead of being transferred to multiple departments she would call Wire Research and then transferred me back to Customer Claims. He stated that once a hold harmless letter is sent it takes the other bank 30-90 business days to respond. I asked him what actually has been done at this time because I was told the letter was sent on XX/XX/XXXX but then it was actually sent on XX/XX/XXXX and then today was told it was sent XX/XX/XXXX so what is actually true. I explained once more that my contact with the other bank meaning XXXX has confirmed that her wire room investigation team has not received any communication from chase regarding a hold harmless letter as of today. He said okay and placed me on hold to look into it further. Now they are telling me the HHL was sent via physical mail on XX/XX/XXXX and that may be causing the delay and that the agent I spoke to before I was transferred provided me with misinformation because no letter was sent on XX/XX/XXXX as it was sent via physical paper mail on XX/XX/XXXX so to allow 3-5 business days to receive a call from Customer Claims . I followed up on Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX with XXXX contact and was informed no mail had been received and was surprised it was sent via physical mail because typically it usually emailed and processed rather quickly. So on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, I called Chase Wire Research to find out the latest update, I was told by the agent the hold harmless letter was sent via email on XX/XX/XXXX and again on XX/XX/XXXX. I explained that the XXXX contact had still not received anything and I was told it was sent through physically mail per Customer Claims. So he called Customer Claims to find out more information. He came back on the phone and said the HHL was actually sent to our physical mailing address. I asked why was the first time I was hearing about this because two days ago I was told it was sent to XXXX and never said it was sent to me. I would like a tracking number so he put me on hold and continued to speak with Claims. Then he came back on the phone and told me he was going to transfer me and the claims agent would give me an alternative option to obtain this letter and once I receive the letter I needed to scan it, attach it to a secure message through the chase app to send to wire research and they could send it to XXXX XXXX. So I was transferred and spoke to an agent with Customer Claims. She instructed me to go to my local branch and ask the banker to call Customer Claims and request the Hold Harmless Letter to be sent to the branch by Claims which would allow the banker to print it out for me. Thus I would be able to send to Chase Wire Research. So I drove to my local branch immediately after my phone call and requested to speak to a banker. The banker called Customer Claims and was placed on hold while the new agent from Claims was asking her supervisor for further guidance with my case. The agent told the banker that I was misinformed and that they could not do that for me as the letter has to be sent directly from the back end Chase Customer Research Team to the XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX. After several arguments later with the banker and then also myself, the final outcome was that the agent placed an escalation on my case requesting to confirm if an additional HHL was sent out or if they could send another one to XXXX. I was told I need to wait two business days for this request to the back end office to be reviewed and processed. If another letter is sent out through physical mail, we have to wait 10 calendar days for XXXX to receive it and allow 30-90 days for XXXX to respond back. Needless to say I was very frustrated because once again I was told a different story and was instructed to do something that ended up not being accurate. I tried reaching out through XXXX and making a complaint but no action was taken except for placing an escalation on our case and apparently a formal complaint was submitted on my behalf. However thats not the first time I was told that information. At this moment, no further progress has been made.