Consumer complaint received 2023-11-10
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION (MD)

In XXXX a purchase was made online from my debit card for XXXX. Then XX/XX/XXXX I received a one time text about my XXXX card saying a purchase was made. If it was mine ignore if not please contact them immediately. It wasnt mine so I opened the link on the text to call them. Which I had to do before when my card was stolen from online activity. I even questioned them about really being XXXX. So they sent a verification code to me. So I thought they were legitimate. My phone started going crazy with alerts from XXXX XXXX and M & t bank. I then realized it was a scam and hung up. I went to my XXXX XXXX which I had locked .I removed my bank card as quick as I could and locked the account again. I called the bank and explained what had happened and asked them to please block the account and not let any transactions go through. It was not me. Do not pay them. She told me I had to come in and dispute it and put a hold on the account. So I went to bank she checked the account and saw 5 charges for XXXX XXXX totaling XXXX She said it showed they did it from desktops out of state. So I filled out disputes and the paperwork needed and told her to block the account it had been accessed and my identity was stolen I would just open another account. So I opened another account so that I could still do my banking. I thought it was taken care of. A couple of days later I kept getting alerts on my phone about withdrawals. I contacted the bank right away and asked why were withdrawals still going through when I asked to block and put the account on hold until it was straight. The other bank assistant said she didnt put a block or hold on the account on the XXXX like I asked. So she put it on there that day when I called. The scam was done the XXXX they didnt pay it until the XXXX. If she would have put a hold or block on it that same day this wouldnt have happened. So they gave me provisional credit for the amounts. The XXXX was returned after investigating the fraud but their accusing me of the other fraud because it happened to me last year. Well it did happen last year and again this year. I have been to the bank at least 7 times and even a different branch twice trying to prove this. They still said all of my documents were meaningless. To get a police report and a letter from XXXX XXXX stating I was scammed that day. I have been to the phone company 6 times and called numerous times. Had to get a new phone because the scammer hacked my phone and got access to all of my information. The new number I received from XXXX XXXX was a scam number. Apparently when they hacked my phone when I called XXXX it was really them. They also did the same thing with the bank phone number in my phone. I dont know how they did this but I had to then erase all data from my phone and make sure all viruses were cleaned from my new phone and change phone number a third time. I had to have additional security put on my phone to monitor every call. Contacted police, filed a police report and still they accuse me of this and deny me. I can not believe they think I would put myself through all of this for this money that I told them not to pay because it wasnt me. I even offered a lie detector test. Then they took the credit back and caused fees taking all my money and additional fees plus the XXXX credit that the other consumer returned and overdrew the account and I then had to pay an additional XXXX extra money and also a XXXX fee from my savings for overdraft protection which wouldnt have happened if she would have done her job right in the beginning and then blame and charge me for their mistakes.