Consumer complaint received 2026-01-07 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: TN

Complaint narrative:
Summary of Complaint On XX/XX/year>, I was the victim of a coordinated fraud involving SMS phishing ( smishing ), caller ID spoofing, and an unauthorized wire transfer in the amount of approximately {$1200.00}. Despite promptly reporting the fraud and clearly denying authorization, USAA failed to prevent the transaction, failed to coordinate effectively with the receiving domestic bank, and failed to provide provisional credit or fee relief during the investigation. As a result, I incurred overdraft fees and returned payment fees for obligations disrupted by the fraudulent transfer. 

Description of the Incident ( XX/XX/year> ) The incident began on XX/XX/year>, with a text message purporting to be from USAA, alerting me to a new device login from a location and device I did not recognize. The message prompted me to reply YES or NO. I replied NO. The text message contained a hyperlink to a domain impersonating USAA ( my.usaaverify [. ] click ), which I did not access. 

Shortly thereafter on the same day, I received a phone call from a number that appeared to be USAAs official customer service number. The caller claimed to be from USAAs fraud or security department, referenced specific account activity, and asked whether I knew an individual named XXXX XXXX and whether I authorized a wire transfer. I clearly stated that I did not authorize the transaction. I was told the matter would be handled and was instructed to stay out of my account for several hours. I was advised that I would receive a follow-up call later that afternoon. No follow-up call occurred. 

Later on XX/XX/year>, the unauthorized wire transfer posted to my account. When I contacted USAA directly using verified contact methods, I was informed that USAA had no record of the prior phone call and that the transaction had already been completed. At that point, it was confirmed that the earlier communication was fraudulent and involved caller ID spoofing. 

Failures and Concerns Unauthorized Wire Transfer Processed : A wire transfer was completed on XX/XX/year>, without my authorization despite clear denial. 

Inadequate Fraud Controls : Reliance on SMS-based verification and caller ID recognition is insufficient given known spoofing risks. 

Lack of Provisional Credit : USAA did not provide provisional credit during the investigation, leaving me financially exposed. 

Fee Harm : I incurred overdraft fees and returned payment fees directly resulting from the fraud. 

Poor Interbank Coordination : USAA and the receiving domestic bank failed to communicate effectively to halt or reverse the transaction in real time. 

Data Security Concerns : Someone possessed sufficient personal and banking information to convincingly impersonate USAA security staff. 

Requested Regulatory Review I respectfully request that the appropriate regulatory authority review : USAAs wire transfer authorization and verification procedures Fraud response timelines and escalation protocols Use of provisional credits during fraud investigations Fee practices that financially penalize victims of fraud Overall adequacy of consumer data protection measures I believe these practices may place consumers at unreasonable risk and improperly shift the financial burden of fraud onto victims rather than the institution.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief