Consumer complaint received 2024-08-25 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
I met a person named XXXX XXXX XXXX, who appeared to be a very hardworking person and had a company called XXXX XXXX. She conducted import transactions of fruits and products from XXXX XXXX. 

This person started to build a friendship with me. She is from XXXX and began to be my friend. Over time, I learned that XXXX XXXX no longer belonged to her because her partner had allegedly decided to remove her. However, it seems that this person also stole her capital and used her identity to make transactions, as XXXX does not have documents in this country. 

XXXX lived in New Jersey, and aside from wanting to realize her idea as an entrepreneur, she worked as a supply XXXX for a construction company in New Jersey. Initially, she talked to me about various businesses, and I avoided all of them. However, there was an occasion where she convinced me to join her new project called XXXX XXXX, a company that needed a good investment of money to start operations with supposedly good returns and profits for the investor. XXXX was a person who mysteriously moved houses many times, and for some reason, the last time she was evicted from her home in XXXX XXXX fine apartment located in a luxurious area of XXXX, NJ. 

The first time she started asking me for certain investments was in XXXX, which is where my tragedy beganinvestments of {$5000.00}, then {$10000.00}, and so on. I only knew about the operation superficially, and nothing concrete was ever shown to me because this business has the disadvantage of being difficult to control and not 100 % visible. Subsequently, these investments increased, and the most incredible part was that she began to give me supposed profits by depositing them into my account, but very cleverly, she would take them back by asking for more investment. using my chase bank account. 

These investments were related to fruits and other products, but to be exact, I never saw invoices or anything concrete, just communications with a supposed broker ( who I assume is part of the scam ) who handles selling the product and managing the payment collection from the client. The broker would take their commission and deliver the money to the people or investors. 

My initial investment reached a point where it bled me financially to the extent of bankrupting my company due to the lack of working capital, and I barely survived. I began a lawsuit thanks to the contracts and agreements that were electronically signed by XXXX, which were clear and well-drafted ( this lawsuit is currently in court ). 

The total of the first investment, after calculating interest and supposed profits, was approximately {$220000.00}. This money was the fruit of my labor when I had my construction business. After some time, I learned there was a way to recover this money, or at least part of it, because there had been a loss, and the merchandise was damaged during the trip when it arrived in XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. 

And then, coincidentally, XXXX had an accidenta car hit her. And supposedly, there was no one to inspect or take care of the cargo because the airline did not apply the required refrigeration for that shipment of pitahaya or dragon fruit. XXXX spent a long time recovering from the accident and operations, unfortunately, as I considered her my friend. 

I had never had any problems with banks, and fortunately, these were my savings and a large part of my working capital. So, during that time, I remained in contact with XXXX because her business model was profitable, but she liked to deceive people. I didnt realize this until later. Now, the second investment was practically forced on me ; otherwise, she would not give me the documents to collect that insurance and recover my money or at least part of it. 

After spending XXXX years in this situation trying to recover my money, I also suffered a fatal car accident on XX/XX/XXXX, where a driver crashed into my parked vehicle while I was waiting for the light to change from red to green. This accident destroyed my vehicle and left both me and my girlfriend injured. It literally paralyzed my life, and I desperately sought solutions because I could only survive with what little I made since I was not allowed to work due to the accident. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX contacted me, telling me she had found part of the documents to collect the insurance, and she mentioned a very good business involving granadilla and basil, along with other plants. I took the precaution of having her sign another document, and this is where my tragedy began because I had a loan from XXXX XXXX. Since I was organized with my credit and tax obligations, she then told me about these businesses, saying there was already a client, etc., etc. 

She said we needed to pay the supplier, a certain XXXX XXXX XXXX from XXXX who belonged to a company called XXXX XXXX S.A.S. and XXXX XXXX. Curiously, my loan had matured, and there was no more money. XXXX began to pressure me psychologically, saying that the payment had to be made as soon as possible. She would call me up to XXXX times a day or more. At that time, she was still in New Jersey. 

The pressure and desperation were so intense that I finally gave in and managed to get approximately {$25000.00}. She told me to charge the card for a payment in my company, and in this way, I would access cash immediately because, according to her, she had no credit and did not want to miss this opportunity with XXXX XXXX and other clients who urgently needed the product. XXXX had a strange appointment in XXXX and came to New Jersey because she was supposedly living in Ohio, helping some friends with some businesses, from where she also mysteriously fled. 

I met with her because I picked her up at the airport, and she explained her new business to me. She said, " Remember, we are going to recover the previous losses with this business. The client needs many weekly orders, and this will help us recover. '' Obviously, this was where the scam started.

I managed to process the payment ; the money from my business credit card was deposited in two transactionsone for {$15000.00} and another for {$7600.00}, along with some smaller payments for FDA licenses, overdrafts, and transaction fees between banks. I have proof of all this. XXXX agreed and told me that to show that this was a transparent negotiation, I would have control over the bank account of her business, XXXX XXXX. 

The surprise came when I saw the accounts had many pending charges, which I ended up assuming as the investor in this scam project. Besides that, she would send me countless XXXX conversations, supposedly with cargo managers, suppliers, brokers, and clients, along with many XXXX sheets with supposedly financial information. It was quite convincing, and she was now living in XXXX, Illinois, where she supposedly still resides. One detail to remember is that one of her past partners, a young man named XXXX, of Turkish origin, who was supposedly her star salesman and in charge of the company 's image and marketing, had control of the website and lived with her. After some time, I learned they had a terrible falling out, which led me to believe she also robbed him. 

This man closed the website and limited his contacts completely, seriously affecting XXXX 's image in the market. I don't know how many people XXXX has robbed or scammed, but I do know she has moved to several countries and mysteriously disappeared from them. Without any reason, she pretends to be a supply chain XXXX and an expert in imports and exports. Heres the surprise : after forcing me to pay the amounts for the XXXX, which could never enter the country because it did not meet FDA or Global GAP requirements to be brought from XXXX to the XXXX. 

It was almost {$15000.00} for the payment of that cargo, where I sent the money I could obtain from the credit card. I never received purchase orders, invoices, or anything to guarantee that I had paid for this product. I received some pro forma invoices with stamps and logos from a company called XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX. XXXX, and another for a payment of almost {$9000.00} that I made to XXXX XXXX. XXXX said that one company would be the supplier and the other the handler or the one who would pack and ship the cargo to the carrier. Everything perfectly fit the scam.

I had already paid more than {$25000.00}, which wasnt even mine, and now I find myself paying off that debt. I learned that in the hotel where she was staying, they were going to evict her because the house she was supposed to rent as an office was not given to her. Another sign that XXXX is a shameless person who takes advantage of peoples goodwill. 

The granadilla could not reach the XXXX, and once the supplier from XXXX, XXXX XXXX, told me that it needed to be moved as soon as possible because it was going bad. Thats when I started discovering more nonsensical things : neither XXXX had the super experience nor the logic in this business, and she didnt even investigate how products could be accessed in a country as demanding as the XXXX XXXX 

Strangely, the last conversation I had with the supplier was aggressive because I confronted both of them to see who was telling the truth. Of course, XXXX was caught in all the lies, but I had already paid, and there were no more options. There was one last card to playthe basilbecause it was accepted everywhere. But another situation arose : the basil hadnt passed the quality tests required by the United States, so it couldnt be shipped. This issue dragged on until this date, and the cargo handlers didnt have space, etc.

Now the question is : if it were a big client, would they wait almost XXXX months to receive their product? Of course not. This money was also lost. There was no refund, no supplier, no client. this money was paid with my credit card from chase bank, and some money from my personal account i have never received any product i had purchased. 



I tried to outsmart her and found a company that handles international collections, including various types of insurance claims. This company claimed it could pursue the international collection of this debt against XXXX XXXX. However, my problems only worsened, as I was now entangled in an uncollectible matter, making me responsible for another obligation and introducing a new level of stress. The company had this case for almost XXXX months and resolved nothing. If the case was withdrawn, they would charge a high cancellation fee. Something tells me XXXX knew this person and that they were part of the scam. 



XXXX is someone whose appearance is perfect for manipulating and scamming others. Collecting this money was not easy, and the situation worsened as I still hadnt received any money, yet the credit card bills and the deterioration of my finances continued. This situation has been extremely painful, leaving me mentally destroyed and desperate, but I tried to stay calm and think of another strategy. 



I met some clients from XXXX, a serious and well-structured company called XXXX XXXX XXXX which coincidentally needed granadilla for export to XXXX and XXXX. XXXX contacted her suppliers in XXXX, claiming they had the required certifications for export to XXXX. However, another scam was brewing, as XXXX complicit supplier lacked the certifications for granadilla and only had them for other products. XXXX intended to make them pay a 70 % advance for the goods, which were to be shipped under the CIF incoterm. 



The scam almost went through until the clients partners met and discovered that the certification process would take XXXX months, which would be a huge problem. The shipment was approximately XXXX pallets, worth about USD XXXX, the same amount she scammed me out of. XXXX has since remained out of contact, not answering phone calls or responding to any communications, even after promising to start making payments this month. She feels untouchable and seems to think that U.S. laws are a joke, as she didnt even bother to attend the court hearing for the lawsuit for the more than USD XXXX she owes me. 



When I think about how many people she has scammed, I estimate it could be around XXXX individuals. Additionally, I filed a complaint against her with the New Jersey police. 



I can provide any proof you need. I know she is making moves, and there is a way to recover my money and bring her to justice, preventing her from causing further harm to society. I sincerely ask for your help ; I dont have the means to pay for an investigator or a lawyer. Just the support of this entity would be a great help in catching these manipulators, fraudsters, and scammers. 



Lucky the company XXXX XXXX took enough security measures and avoid a new scam starred by XXXX and her company XXXX XXXX. and right now I am struggling financially and besides of that I dont have any source of income due to this huge mistake and scam.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation