Consumer complaint received 2024-11-26 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK, THE
State: MI

Complaint narrative:
I was scammed out of a decent amount of money ( {$3200.00} ) by someone pretending to be a XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX. They obtained my phone number from the XXXX XXXX XXXX  that they tie to your account to use for bill payment. I have never used XXXX. I received a text msg supposedly from XXXX asking me to authorize a {$1200.00} payment. I replied NO and the scammer called me from there. A screenshot of the interaction was sent to XXXX. I was advised that my identity had been stolen by someone named XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  on an XXXX XXXX. That XXXX payments were set up to drain my account and Ineeded to hurry to move my money to my new checking account. I already feel like an XXXX for falling for this but, I did. I have cried daily over this and have been into XXXX XXXX of the last XXXX  days. 

On XX/XX/year>, at XXXX, the scammer called me again. He had phoned XXXX already while I was at work to see when I was out. I went to XXXX on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX to ask the XXXX there to call him back with me so they can hear this. They refused. My anxiety was through the roof and I was crying. It is at this branch that I started the process of showing my proofs of the activities over the course of XXXX  and XXXX. XX/XX/year> and XX/XX/year>. They started the dispute process there that the Customer Service at XXXX ( I called on XX/XX/year> at XXXX. I was on the phone for XXXX minutes with Customer Service. It said those calls are recorded and monitored. Someone should maybe listen to my frantic call. And all the other crying calls I made. 

I have reported this to XXXX as soon as I realized what was happening, took many steps to secure what was left in my account, filed a police report and complaint with XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX, sent multiple proofs of the scam to XXXX. Yesterday I had to withdraw my remaining funds and move them to a new account. My account was frozen last XXXX  XX/XX/year>. I closed my account and opened a new XXXX on XX/XX/year> but was advised that they were severing our relationship due to " inconsistent '' information. They never looked at the call logs, emails, text messages, police report or anything until I called yesterday and asked to speak to a XXXX whom re-opened my complaint. They believe I scammed myself but do not seem to be able to prove it. I was a fool, yes. Not fool enough to file/lodge complaints with authorities if I scammed myself. Make that make sense! 

The money I thought I was moving to what I was told was my new checking account, went to gift cards. There was a XXXX at XXXX who pointed it out to me on XXXX, XX/XX/year> when I was bawling in XXXX XXXX and then is when I realized what had happened. I have sent copies of the gift card emails ( also with XXXX XXXX and from " XXXX. '' as I have been advised that a XXXX XXXX XXXX can be tracked and XXXX of the transactions went to XXXX XXXX XXXX. Please track them! 

What is XXXX XXXX of being FDIC insured, then? I have NO history of anything illegal and here we are. I have heard a few stories now, in my small town, of XXXX treating others the same so they do not incur a loss. How do I know XXXX DID NOT SCAM ME? Because they say so? Well, I DID NOT SCAM MYSELF and will hire an attorney to push on, if needed. 

I am

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation