Consumer complaint received 2024-03-17
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (NC)

On XX/XX/2024, I was scammed. I applied for a job through XXXX for a remote front desk position just a few days prior to that, and I received an email about the position telling me to email XXXX XXXX about it. I did, and he said that position was taken, but he was looking for a XXXX XXXX. He said it was still a remote position, and he wouldn't be in town to do an in-person interview for 2 weeks, but he had an errand I could run as sort of a working interview. I told him I was interested. He said the errand would be buying groceries and gifts for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and he asked for my checking account so he could send me a check. I gave it to him, and he emailed me a check for {$8500.00} with the name XXXX XXXX on it for the account it came from, which I deposited in my checking account with USAA. Then he asked me to send {$1500.00} to XXXX XXXX on XXXX. I tried, but I'd only used XXXX once or twice before, and I wasn't familiar with how to use it. I also had trouble linking it to my bank account. So he said it was fine, we could use XXXX, which was USAA 's preferred app, and he asked me to send {$500.00} to XXXX XXXX on that. Again, I tried, but I'd never used XXXX before, and I was having trouble with the bank not allowing the transfer. So he said it was fine, I had the money in my account anyway, so he asked me to go to XXXX and he'd send me the list when he got there. I did, and when I got there, he told me to buy XXXX {$500.00} XXXX XXXX cards at XXXX different registers. Then he asked me to open them up, scratch off the backs, and send him pictures of the receipts and the backs. After I did that, I realized this was probably a gift card scam, so I looked it up and realized that's exactly what it was. I blocked his phone number and email, filed a report with the FTC, called my bank and canceled my debit card, and called XXXX, but the funds were already gone from the gift cards, and they wouldn't reimburse me. I also reported the job on XXXX as a scam and called XXXX XXXX XXXX, but they said this didn't count as identity theft even though he had personal information about me from the job application, so they couldn't do anything for me. The week following that was a constant back-and-forth with my bank, trying to figure everything out. I told USAA the whole story XX/XX/2024 and again when I called XX/XX/2024 because my account was locked, and on XX/XX/2024 the representative I spoke with said the account was locked because of my call as they were reviewing everything, and I would be getting a call from the fraud department within the next 24 hours. I never got that call. I ended up calling back XX/XX/2024 ( I worked XX/XX/2024, XX/XX/2024, XX/XX/2024, and XX/XX/2024 ), and I was told that they decided against me. Since I gave my permission, this didn't count as a scam, and fraud protection wouldn't cover the {$2000.00} that I lost. They read me the decision and a list of account restrictions I would have for the next 6 months, and if there was any more suspicious activity, they would terminate business with me. I never received that document in writing, via mail or my online portal. I then received a letter stating the check for {$8500.00} was fake, and I had to reimburse the bank that amount, so I called them again XX/XX/2024 about that. The representative checked, and there was a deposit for {$8500.00}, and when that was found to be fake, a debit of {$8500.00}, so that zeroed out, and I didn't owe the bank anything for that. But he said I had tried to move {$4600.00}. I guess he was adding up the failed transfers to XXXX and XXXX, which also were declined and reverted back to my account, so they XXXX  out, too. In the end, I have to cover the {$2000.00} I spent on the gift cards myself, and my checking account has a negative balance because of that. I have 45 days to resolve that negative balance, or USAA will terminate business with me. I'm not allowed to transfer money from my savings account to my checking account to resolve the negative balance, and they aren't automatically deducting from there, even though that's something they normally do in the case of an overdraft, and even the letter about the check said they would do that. I still don't have any documentation about their ruling or my restrictions, but I know I can't transfer money for 6 months, and any deposits have an extra XXXX days of review before they're made available to me, including my paycheck.