Consumer complaint received 2024-10-15 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem — 
Company: MONEYGRAM PAYMENT SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE INC
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/year> Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Subject : Formal Complaint Against XXXXXXXX XXXX and MoneyGram for Failure to Resolve Unauthorized Transactions Claim Number : XXXX Dear CFPB Representative, I am filing this formal complaint against XXXXXXXX XXXX and MoneyGram regarding two unauthorized transactions on my account totaling {$1400.00}, which occurred on XX/XX/year>. Despite spending hours on calls with both institutions, neither has taken responsibility, and I have been left without a resolution. Below is a detailed timeline of my efforts, highlighting the miscommunication and delays that have resulted in significant frustration and financial loss. 

Timeline and Efforts to Resolve the Issue : 1. Unauthorized Transactions : On XX/XX/year>, two unauthorized transactions for {$750.00} and {$650.00} were processed via MoneyGram. At the time, I was traveling internationally in XXXX ( XX/XX/year> to XX/XX/year> ), making it impossible for me to authorize these transfers. I have attached my travel itinerary and flight confirmation as evidence. 
2. Initial Claims with XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX On XX/XX/year>, I filed a claim with XXXXXXXX XXXX ( Claim Number XXXX ) for these unauthorized transactions. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XX/XX/year>, after over a month of waiting, XXXX closed my claim, stating that the transactions were deemed authorized and advising me to contact MoneyGram for a refund. 
XXXX Before the claim was closed, on Friday, XX/XX/year>, I spent hours on the phone with XXXX, and they instructed me to gather additional evidence, which I promptly did. When I called back, they asked me to call on Monday, XX/XX/year>. I called on Monday, and they again asked me to call on Tuesday, XX/XX/year>. Each time I followed up, I was given no clear resolution. Each time, I was told to contact MoneyGram for a refund.

3. Miscommunication and Delays with MoneyGram : XXXX On Friday, XX/XX/year>, I also spent hours speaking with MoneyGram, where they refused to help me recover the funds, despite explaining that the transactions were unauthorized. 
XXXX I contacted MoneyGram again on Tuesday, XX/XX/year>, and spent over two hours on the phone, only to be told again that they could not issue a refund because the funds were already received by the recipient in the XXXX. This reasoning does not make sense to me for several reasons : First, I never initiated these transactions. 
Second, my MoneyGram account was closed due to suspicious activity, so I was unable to log in and cancel the transactions myself. 
Third, on XX/XX/year>, when I discovered the fraudulent activity, I contacted MoneyGram immediately, and they assured me that the transactions were canceled. I trusted their statement, but this was clearly false, and MoneyGram misled me. 
Despite my numerous attempts to resolve the matter, both institutions are refusing to take responsibility, and I have been sent back and forth without any resolution. I have lost not only {$1400.00} but also significant time, spending hours on calls with no progress. 

Request for CFPB Intervention : Given the circumstances, I am seeking the CFPB 's assistance to : 1. Investigate XXXX XXXX XXXX refusal to process my claim for unauthorized transactions and their failure to protect my account from fraud. 
2. Investigate MoneyGrams role in processing unauthorized transfers and provide inaccurate information about canceling the transactions. 
3. Ensure that both XXXXXXXX XXXX and MoneyGram take the necessary steps to refund the {$1400.00} that was fraudulently taken from my account. 

I have attached the following documents to support my case : Travel itinerary and flight confirmation to verify that I was out of the country during the transaction period. 
Screenshots of MoneyGram emails to confirm my communication with MoneyGram.

Screenshots of the unauthorized MoneyGram profile update and unauthorized transactions The discrepancies in transaction descriptions between authorized and disputed transactions. 
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I hope that with your intervention, this issue can finally be resolved, and I can recover the funds lost due to this fraudulent activity. 
Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX Travel Itinerary/Flight Confirmation Screenshot of flight confirmation Screenshot of flight details Emails from MoneyGram Screenshot of Moneygram email for transaction 1 Screenshot of Moneygram email for transaction 2 Screenshot of moneygram email for unauthorized profile update MoneyGram Conversation Screenshots of Difference in Transaction Logs

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation