Consumer complaint received 2022-11-02
Product: Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (TX)

Complaint:
I was caught in an XXXX XXXX XXXX  scam after a mutual friend 's account had gotten hacked and I was under the impression that it was her who was talking to me. She then referred me to another account that had " helped '' her get started and at the time I had lost my job and was in a bad place so I just wanted to see if it would work. This started around XXXX and she seemed nice and gained my " trust '' because she seemed like a real person and she also knew my friend so I thought she could be trusted. In the beginning, she also kept assuring me that it is 100 % safe and legal and her XXXX page also had a lot of " testimonials '' and seemed legit. She asked me for an initial investment of {$1500.00} to get started with her company " XXXX XXXX' account and that is where the money would be entered and then after the profit was made I would be able to cash it out. Then she said in order to get the funds out I needed an additional {$2500.00} which I told her I did not have and could not do it. But she insisted and said she would pay half to " help '' me out, and at this point, I really just wanted to get my money back so I paid the {$1500.00} for an upgrade. 

Throughout the conversation, she kept saying that I will be able to get my money back immediately right after the deposit was made and I kept asking her for reassurance if she was serious and she kept telling me, yes yes it is safe. Anytime I made the deposit and would tell her to give me my money back she would keep making excuses and saying I need to pay the " tax '' fees and go through the process to get my money back " immediately ''. She would always use that word and never deliver. After a while of not getting my funds, she wanted me to invest a certain amount into XXXX, but my card was not working and kept getting denied. After I got mad at her for lying and letting her know that I am going to report this to the bank she then referred me to her " XXXX '' who started by sending me a picture of his " ID badge '' and a certification as a XXXX XXXX  XXXX which I thought was real and then got me to send a picture of my ID as well. He then asked for my bank login so he could return my money right away. I was desperate at the time to get my money back and was not thinking right so I gave it. Also, the scammers always loved calling through XXXX and I wouldn't pick up the girl 's call but the XXXX seemed adamant that I talk to him and I realized that the voice and accent did not match his ID picture at all. 

He then proceeded with what I now know as the " Refund Scam '' he put funds into my credit card account, this happened in XXXX after the whole runaround with the scammer before, then told me to buy {$6000.00} worth of XXXX XXXX XXXX and send it to him. At first, he wanted me to buy XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 's which I really was not comfortable doing. After I told him no I am not comfortable doing that he said that was the only way to get the money back and kept using a sense of urgency to get me to do it. At the time I was not aware of these refund scams that had been going around because I had not been exposed to them until now. I understand that I should have been smarter but they got me at a bad and desperate time. 

After they wanted me to get more gift cards I was fed up and done and called my bank and reported XXXX XXXX transactions as unauthorized transactions. XXXX were made on XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX for {$1000.00} each, the third payment was made on XX/XX/XXXX for {$900.00} and a fourth payment was made on XX/XX/XXXX for {$500.00}. Which is a total of {$3400.00}. They also transferred {$1500.00} from my credit card account by the use of my XXXX account which I reported as well. 

I do not have a job and all my savings were taken by these scammers and I called the bank and reported these transactions on XX/XX/XXXX, they returned the fund temporarily but after their investigation, they said all the logins were consistent and after getting the runaround with no help all agents were saying that they do not have the 'rights to recover " since I had authorized the transactions. I told them I was scammed and each one just kept saying that they do not have the right to recover and that there was nothing they could do. After doing some research I learned about the CFPB, XXXX and Regulation XXXX I began to file reports of my incident and do whatever I can to retrieve my hard-earned money. It is not right that someone can just scam you and get away with it and leave you to fall further into despair. Please help me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation