Consumer complaint received 2024-02-09
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Chime Financial Inc (IA)

On XX/XX/2024, at around XXXX, I contacted Chime at XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX to check if needed to increase what I could withdraw out of an ATM in a day. After being on the phone with the person for a few minutes as she was increased my limits, we got disconnected. Within seconds of being disconnected, I received a call from a different number XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX and it sounded like the individual I was talking to when I first called. The conversation pretty much started where we were when I got disconnected. I was told that they were not able to increase the limit due to the Chime app being out of date and that they would need to update the app. They proceeded to tell me that they had opened up a virtual chime card for me and that it would show up in my account as II sent {$2500.00} to XXXX XXXX and {$500.00} and {$2000.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX and that I could go to the closest XXXX XXXX and show them the virtual card number and information and withdraw {$5000.00} dollars from there. I told them this was not what I wanted to do and that they needed to cancel this transaction because I was able to get out the amount I needed at the ATM. I was told to hold on for a moment while they stopped this transaction. After a few moments, she told me that she was not about to do so due to my Chime app being out of date on my phone and that I should be receiving a call from XXXX from the billing department, which was XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. I then received a text from this number XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX number asking me to answer the call from the XXXX number so we completet this and that my phone must be blocking unknown numbers because it goes straight to voicemail and he would need my on the phone to be able to get this fixed. I answered the call from the XXXX number, and after talking with him for a while, I got a text from the XXXX number stating that my limit request for the card ending in XXXX was increased to {$3000.00}. However he was still working on trying to get the {$5000.00} dollars back into my account. He explained that he is having problems and that he would be transferring me to the technical team so they could correct the problem due to him not having access. I would receive a call from XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX, and after being on the phone with him for close to an hour, he told me that he was not able to correct the issue and that he needed to do some stuff on the back end and that if I didnt receive the {$5000.00} in my account within XXXX hours to contact him back. On Monday, XX/XX/2024, I checked my account and noticed that the money had not been transferred back to my account, so I called the XXXX number back and after being on the phone for almost XXXX hours he asked me to download XXXX different apps from the apple store which where XXXX resolve and the other trust wallet. After I installed the app, he sent me a sent me a link for the XXXX resolve and asked that I join the session. After doing so, we got disconnected, and once we reconnected, had asked me to turn my background setting app off because every time my phone went to sleep it would disconnect. After doing so, I continued to work, and he would call me every now and again to ask me to check my chime account, which I would do, and nothing had changed. At about XXXX, he told me that I could disconnect and that if is wasnt in my account in the morning give him a call. On Tuesday, XX/XX/2024, I had no changes to the account, so I called the XXXX number back. He acted confused and told me he was going to send me another XXXX link and asked that I open that and connect with him. I connected to his broadcast, and while doing so I had a XXXX call to respond for the ambulance service I work for and told him I would have to let him go, and he told me to check back with him once the call was over. I did receive an email from Chime telling me that you were processing the refund for {$5000.00} and would be compensating me {$200.00} dollars for the inconvenience of canceling the virtual card. Due to having several back-to-back calls, I was not able to contact him for several hours, When I finally got freed up, I looked at my Chime account and noticed that several thousands of dollars were missing from my account and that my savings was all transferred over to my checking account. I called him back and asked him what was going on, why is my money missing, and why did my savings account get transferred. He told me that it was going to show that way on my out-of-date app and that it was transferring over to the up-to-date app as normal. I told him that I didnt like this, and he told me it would be fine and that I would be able to use my card without any issues because the way this process works, your money really isnt going anywhere just into your up-to-date chime account. After being on the phone for several more minutes, I had to respond to another XXXX call and disconnected the phone call. On Wednesday, XX/XX/2024, I had little to no contact with him due to him telling me that he was going to be in a meeting trying to fix this updated version XXXX because everyone was having problems with it. On Thursday, XX/XX/2024, I checked my account and noticed that I only had {$27.00} in my account. When I called him, he told me that they had figured it out and would update it around noon. After XXXX had come and gone, I called the first number, XXXX. After going through all of the steps and talking to a gentleman, I was told that I had fraudulent charges and that I needed to talk to a different department and placed me on hold, like the first time I was placed on hold, I got disconnected, and this would happen to me 3 more times before getting all the way through the process of submitting all XXXX disputes equalling {$20000.00}. At no point did I authorize any of the transactions. The only difference between getting disconnected the first time and today is that no one called me back. I have filed a report with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and my case number is XXXX, and the Iowa Attorney General. She advised me to file a report with XXXX and CFPB.