Consumer complaint received 2025-06-17 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Im filing this complaint regarding multiple financial institutions refusal to support a fraud dispute I submitted. Between XXXX and XXXX, I was emotionally manipulated and financially exploited by individuals posing as psychics. These people preyed on me during a very vulnerable time in my life, pressuring me into sending repeated payments through XXXX, PayPal, XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX through XXXX, and multiple banks including XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX XXXX. I also gave cash in person on several occasions under their pressure. 

They told me that people I loved would die, become seriously ill, or suffer irreversible misfortune unless I sent large amounts of money immediately for spiritual services. I should have known better, but I put my trust into people who had sworn on their childrens lives that I must do this psychic work and that it was absolutely necessary. Out of fear and emotional distress, I complied authorizing the transactions under false pretenses. The payments were frequent and substantialand none of the predictions or threats ever came true. This was clearly a scam rooted in psychological manipulation. 

They also manipulated me with false emotional narratives, claiming that a specific person loved me, wanted to speak with me, and that we were meant to be. As a result of me reaching out to this person, believing the psychics claims, that individual has filed a restraining order against me, and I now have to attend court over this. This legal action has added to my emotional and financial distress. 

I was consistently told we couldnt discuss anything over textonly by phoneespecially when they made extreme claims ( like someone being suicidal or terminally ill ). I was also repeatedly told not to tell anyone what we talked about because it would ruin the spiritual work. This secrecy created intense psychological pressure, fear, and guilt. 

They even told me the money I was spending on their services was cursed, and that sending it to them would help remove the curse. This was a manipulation tactic designed to justify the repeated financial drain and to make me feel as though giving away my money was helping me. They pressured me to borrow money from friends and family, and to open new credit cards in order to continue paying them. I was told if I didnt meet specific amounts by specific deadlines, irreversible harm would come to my loved ones. 

Despite all of this, the institutions involvedincluding XXXX, PayPal, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX through XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX XXXXhave denied my disputes or failed to adequately investigate despite clear signs of fraud and emotional manipulation. I was misled under false pretenses, and each company either ignored or denied my claim because the transactions were authorized even though it was clearly the result of fraudulent manipulation. 

I felt deeply exploitedemotionally, mentally, and financiallyby these manipulative individuals who took advantage of my vulnerability. 

Key parties and payment routes : A woman named XXXX instructed me to send payments to : XXXX  : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ( via XXXX ) : XXXX PayPal : Account under the name XXXX XXXX Phone numbers used : XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX and XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX A woman named XXXX instructed me to send payments to : XXXX  : @ XXXX XXXX ( via XXXX ) : XXXX XXXX, phone number XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX The last name on many of the accounts I was told to send money to is XXXX. After some online research, I discovered that this name has been associated with organized crime, psychic scams, and other fraudulent schemes. 

These individuals worked together to create an emotionally abusive and financially exploitative environment. Their use of fear, urgency, and emotional manipulation controlled my behavior and spending. 

I am a XXXX woman living in XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, currently working two jobs to repay the over {$50000.00} I was scammed out of by these individuals. My credit is destroyed, my savings are gone, and I am mentally, emotionally, and financially exhausted. 

I respectfully ask if there is any way I can be considered for partial or full reimbursement for the funds I lost, given the emotional coercion, abuse, and manipulation involved. I am asking the CFPB to help hold these platforms and financial institutions accountable for failing to protect users from organized, emotionally manipulative scams that are deceptively authorized in nature but clearly fraudulent in intent.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation