Consumer complaint received 2025-11-05 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
I am escalating my denied XXXX fraud dispute for the first time, as the XXXX prior online banking investigations incorrectly concluded the payments were 'authorized ' and closed without addressing this as a qualifying impostor scam under XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX reimbursement policy. As a long-time PNC customer XXXX I request immediate reversal of the {$870.00}, {$800.00}, and {$150.00} in transactions and full refund to my account, per guidelines/regulations/protections. PNC 's XXXX terms explicitly cover reimbursements for 'certain qualifying imposter scams, ' and this case fits precisely. 

On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I responded to a fraudulent XXXX post for a short-term rental condo at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Washington DC XXXX XXXX The scammer, impersonating the property owner, built trust through detailed emails, a forged contract, and assurances of legitimacy, tricking me into authorizing XXXX XXXX payments totaling {$1800.00} to 'secure the reservation and cover renters insurance. Upon arriving on XX/XX/XXXX, the front desk buzzed me in but could not locate the landlord I referred to. Eventually they confirmed the owner was listed under a different name than XXXX XXXX but could not say their specific name for privacy. Meanwhile the phone number I had been communicating with as recently as XX/XX/XXXX, the scammer, was an unaffiliated fraudster, disconnected their phone line, and vanished with the funds. 

This is a classic XXXX impostor scam : I was deceived into believing I was paying a legitimate party ( the owner ), not a criminal, for real estate rental services for my family. Our home was recently vandalized and we need a short term rental while contractors can make our home safe again. XXXX 's XXXX policy requires participating banks like PNC to reimburse such cases on a case-by-case basis, even for 'authorized ' transfers, to protect consumers from sophisticated fraud. Prior PNC investigations on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, and prior denials ignored this, focusing only on my authorization without evaluating the deception and without collecting any evidence regarding the imposter from mecontrary to CFPB XXXX and EWS mandates. 

Attached : 1. Communications with Scammer : Complete email thread showing impersonation, contract negotiation, and false ownership claims 2. Forged Contract : Signed digital agreement dated XX/XX/XXXX listing scammer as owner 3. XXXX Transaction Confirmations : Official receipts proving payments to scammer 's account ( Screenshots from PNC XXXX ) XXXX 

I have further submitted Fraud Reports : - FBI XXXX Complaint - DC XXXX Police Report - DC Attorney General Complaint - CFPB Consumer Finance Complaint XXXX XXXX is an assigned advocate from the DC XXXX and is actively escalating this to PNC on my behalf. 

These documents demonstrate clear deception, not negligence on my part. The scam has caused financial hardship ( lost savings for relocation ) and emotional distress, eroding trust in PNC 's fraud safeguards. 

* * Requested Relief and Timeline Under XXXX 's impostor policy, XXXX XXXX and XXXX, and PNC 's zero-liability commitments : - Provisional credit of {$1800.00} to my account within XXXX business days. 
- Full reversal of the transactions, with funds recovered from the recipient 's account if possible. 
- Escalation to a senior XXXX or EWS compliance reviewer for an unbiased re-investigation. 
- XXXX response within 15 days, including rationale and appeal process. 

With your attention and the DC XXXX advocate, I believe we can accomplish PNC 's cooperation to speed up any necessary escalation and find the resolution. Please contact me directly to schedule a call. I am also able to visit in person with originals. 

Thank you for prioritizing this. XXXX will restore my confidence in PNC.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation