Consumer complaint received 2023-01-13
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (IL)

I was filling out multiple applications for loans because I was behind on rent, one application I filled out was for a company called XXXX XXXX. Approximately 2-3 days later I get a call from a number I haven't seen before assuming it was a loan company responding to my applications. The person who called impersonated XXXX XXXX read my my name, address, phone, who I bank with and other small personal details that convinced me this was legit. The person impersonating XXXX XXXX  told me my credit was too low to be accepted and they needed to build my credit for acceptance. They said they would pay off my chase credit card in full and in return I will give them gift cards I bought with the money they paid off my card with. After the very first time I went in a store and bought gift cards I contacted chase immediately because they sent me something pertaining fraud, when I was on the phone with chase I explained exactly what happened and why I was doing what I was doing and they never once told me this was scam likely, a fraud, or not normal for loan companies.They instead okayed what I was doing, they didn't do anything to stop, freeze and prevent me from doing this they just said " I've never heard of this '' and that was it. All while this took place my credit score instantly increased significantly upon the very first payment they put on my card. After that I was 100 % convinced I was dealing with the loan company and being young and XXXX at the time I continued to let them pay my card off and give them gift cards about 4-5 more times. I was then told I'd have the loan contract mailed to me the next day. After 2-3 more days I never received anything and continuously contacted this person and they told me there was issues and I had to come in person to fill out the application. They then gave me the address to a building in downtown XXXX, I showed up and was escorted out of the lobby because I came to find out XXXX XXXX  was not a company in that building and was laughed at by security. Then when I get back to my car to call the impersonators of XXXX XXXX my number was blocked. I really thought nothing of this until a few months after all of this every single payment they put on my card got returned and chase told me that every payment was not authorized from the account it was sent from. That makes absolutely XXXX sense to me that that's even allowed to happen. Chase told me to file a police report which I did and nothing happened and I was never contacted with an update. Chase then told me my new card balance on my credit card of a max limit of {$4500.00} was {$23000.00}. My monthly payment was over {$1500.00} and at the time I didn't even make that much in the entire month from my job. Chase told me it was my fault and because I allowed it to happen I'm responsible, I told them I legit can't afford to pay 1 month of this it's more than I make in a month and they then told me they would transfer my debt to a 3rd party to consolidate it. Now fearing very badly I absolutely refused to allow any 3rd party that wasn't a bank to have anything to do with my banking and credit info. They told me then I can choose not pay it but never told me it would effect my credit or any of the consequences of doing that. A few months later I get a call from payars saying they now own my debt, and I have been paying my total of {$23000.00} on monthly payments of {$150.00}. I recently called XXXX and they have no knowledge of payars and show my debt still being paid through chase. Not only am I devastated this happened to me and literally ruined my life It makes me very angry/scared that a credit bureau can't even confirm this for me. I have been trying to look at options and dispute this charge on my credit for 2 years now and I'm not getting any help doing so, I feel I was taken advantage of and robbed out of {$23000.00} and ruined my credit very badly. This breaks my heart people can do this to innocent people and get away with it and the innocent ones are the ones held liable.