Consumer complaint received 2025-03-19 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: SOFI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
I was contacted first via text message on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX PM XXXX. A person posing as a recruiter for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX texted me about a job opportunity, stating they reviewed my resume posted online. I scheduled an interview for XXXX PM. Then I was required to send a message to an HR named XXXX XXXX on XXXX  after downloading the appdid an interview with this HR person named XXXX XXXX XXXX chat on XXXX. During this interview, this person described the company, directed me to the real XXXX website, explained in detail the job and company history etc. After completing the interview, the person said I did a great job. They would reach back in an hour to let me know the results. They texted me back in an hour and told me I got the job. They asked for my e-mail address, phone, home address and to upload a photo of myself. So the following morning I received a training booklet and an employment contract in my e-mail. I signed those. Then they started by having me set up XXXX phone lines with XXXX XXXX on my phone which they said I would be reimbursed for. They said that normally they direct deposit funds for this process into my account but that my bank wasn't compatible. Then, sometime later that day, they had me purchase XXXX XXXX gift cards for {$200.00} each, totaling {$400.00} they said was for installation of software on the XXXX products they were sending me for the job. The next day, they had me purchase XXXX {$200.00} and XXXX {$100.00} XXXX gift cards. Then the next day on XX/XX/XXXX, they had me purchase a {$300.00} XXXX gift card. Then on the XX/XX/XXXX, they had me purchase XXXX {$100.00} XXXX XXXX cards, and a {$300.00} XXXX gift card promising me that the {$500.00} was for the last installation of software on the XXXX XXXX XXXX desktop computer they were sending me. They had me fill out XXXX Employee Reimbursement Forms with all the information and copies of the receipts. They approved the receipts. Strangely on XX/XX/XXXX, they made me complete a writing assignment answering job questions in paragraph essay form, totaling XXXX words. It ended up taking me a few hours and was XXXX pages long. They said I completed the task correctly. I was told that my equipment was being shipped out and arriving on Wed XX/XX/XXXX and that my official start date would be Friday XX/XX/XXXX. However, while already having caught on to the scam, on XX/XX/XXXX, they e-mailed me having me sign a document requesting a Clearance Fee for {$380.00} for shipment of the equipment. While still in contact with XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, I told her I would not be paying that and that I had caught on to the scam. They had sent me a XXXX form upon my request in e-mail. And they had provided me with fake name : XXXX XXXX and a phone number XXXX for a representative to speak with. I've blocked this user on XXXX XXXX. That is the last correspondence I've had with XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. They have stolen {$1500.00} USD from me. When contacting the real company via e-mail to explain this to them, they did not respond. I've filed an FTC fraud claim, I've contacted XXXX, I've contacted my bank, I've submitted a full fraud complaint to XXXX XXXX with all the card information and receipts. I've filed an XXXX complaint. I've filed an FBI claim. I have all the documents in an envelope ready for the sheriff 's department. The bank needs to refund my money because I've proven that this is fraud and that at the very least the services that this company was requesting the cards for was not rendered to me. And the bank was negligent in not freezing my account to prevent large withdrawals of cash from the ATM repeatedly. Contrary to what the bank stated to me, this is not normal behavior for my account and it is not normal behavior for my account to be in the negative all the years I've been with my bank.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation