Consumer complaint received 2024-06-07 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Indie Technology DBA Found
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
Hi my name is XXXX XXXX and I want to file a complaint with FOUND online business banking company who banks through XXXX XXXX. I live in XXXX and could really use someones help and guidance with my bank or be a mediator with my issue at hand here.
My account was hacked and taken over on XXXX XXXX after I received a call by someone at approximately XXXX by someone posing to be a spark representative. To give a little backstory before I go into what happened, this person hit my FOUND account first and then moved to my other accounts. First ill explain my three banks so no confusion, FOUND is a business account I get paid through from my job as a house cleaner. XXXX  XXXX XXXX is the bank my XXXX XXXX payments go into from my XXXX  delivery job and BRANCH is the bank XXXX  "used" to use as a bank to pay us our drivers payments.I had been going back and forth from Branch and XXXX  recently before this all happened and was having my payments go into there because I like how the app showed us our balance after each transaction purchased. I also had a job as a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX which I don't have anymore but was also having those check deposits go into my XXXX XXXX so I could keep track of the majority of my funds in one place. I also recently moved some funds around as I set up a few savings accounts with XXXX  and pockets with FOUND to make things a little more organized for to my personal liking which is why this timing of this type of hack and scam is very odd to me and almost seemed to me as if this person had prior access or authorization on me, has been spying on me, hacked my phone a while ago or used to work for XXXX  or XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  I bank through because I couldn't understand how he knew all the information he did. To begin On XXXX XXXX  all 3 of my bank accounts, email and XXXX  driver portal were all hacked into by this hackster. Nearly XXXX was taken from my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX from my XXXX XXXX  and XXXX from the FOUND account, all stolen via online money transfers.
The call came in as XXXX  delivery on my phone at the time and he posed as a XXXX  customer care specialist. This man took everything I had in my account with FOUND and my other two banks while hacking into my email and accessing my emails. He saw my personal emails, work emails, bank emails and somehow knew about my three banks even from the start of the conversation not to mention restricting my internet access while during the call. This call also came at an unusual time period considering just a month or so ago I reported to XXXX  that something odd was happening to my XXXX  XXXX  account because I wasnt getting any orders day in and day out for several months and wondered if there was a possibility of someone either remote accessing my phone, using my account, acting as me or using my app and taking my orders. I didnt know what to come if it and had all kinds of suspicions and theories as to what was happening to my XXXX  XXXX  account. They said it wasnt probable but they would look into it since my ratings were going down without me taking any orders. They said they would follow up with me and not to worry they would get to the bottom of it. Its odd timing only because this man made it sound like thats what he called about and made threatening suspension a likely outcome of my drivers account if I did. Also told me I needed to do a return order on the order I was currently doing because it was canceled and picked up by another driver. He knew of my location telling me to drive to the customers house to attempt order delivery. During the drive he tells me that my XXXX  XXXX XXXX  that I used that XXXX  paid me through was going to be closed and that I needed to stick to using my XXXX XXXX account from now on to be paid from XXXX. He read me my balance that was in there, a total of XXXXXXXX  and said he would transfer that to my XXXX  account and it should arrive in there by the end of the day. Not processing how he had that information or how he could get into my accounts he proceeded to guide me on how to return this order which I would be compensated for. 
Another thing is he knew about my FOUND business account. He tried asking me for my FOUND password which I couldn't remember anyways so couldn't give him anything to go off. Once I got to Walmart to return the two items, I told him I was there, since he told me to do so the call disconnected or he hung up . I called back with no answer all it did was ring. Immediately then I knew I was scammed because the call was not answered by a XXXX  customer care specialist nor did it have the XXXX  recording at the beginning like they do. I thought well there's no way he could of gotten very far since I didn't give him any valuable information but for some reason I had a bad feeling about the whole thing and instantly I had feared the worst. Called frantically someone I knew that worked at XXXX  to ask them if they thought I had gotten scammed since I wasn't quite able to look at my account since my internet was down and they had said "yes that sounds scammy hopefully you didn't give them your SSN" and I just said "all I gave them was my DOB, email and last four of SSN and never thought they could use that" . Only banks, work places, healthcare of that nature have your information like that and can verify that with you I thought. I checked into my account with my FOUND account once I was able to get online and he took over XXXX from my account immediately following the call and then proceeded to XXXX  taking out XXXX and then hacked into my email address later on that night around XXXX locking me out so any correspondence from either bank and would go to him. Also Later on that night around same time He changed my personal info in the bank accounts while also hitting my XXXX XXXX around which was the majority of where my money was and left me negative XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX labeled this an account takeover which was my first hearing of such a thing. 
XXXX XXXX  and my FOUND BUSINESS account has been nothing but difficult with communication at retrieving anything back in correspondence and I have had to do triple the work to get anywhere and having to re-explain everything to everyone each time has been nothing but a timely fiasco taking me away from most everything else in my life. Ive went to supervisors, managers, and then I went directly to the bank they are either partnered with or who they bank through and spoke to their manager and XXXX CEO . Finally I was able to get somewhere with XXXX  as they finally figured out what was going on after multiple escalations to dispute four big transactions to later resolve three of them. They still have yet to dispute another XXXX transaction that they forgot about. They've had to re issue another account takeover and hold my account up for two days while they do a dispute on this charge they should have done months ago but failed to do so or understand. Ive had to countlessly provide lengthy details because there is a lot that is involved but also because they would not understand nor relay information to anyone. This has also been a problem with FOUND and even worse with correspondence or actions to inform me or do what needs to be done to investigate or ask any questions even which is extremely odd almost as if they had their minds made up from the get go and nothing changes even with more information on the case. Ive gotten the same three emails and same three answers regarding their decision in the dispute each time even after more evidence and more explaining as they do not seem to understand either. Ive gotten multiple emails from different people asking to verify my info and then saying "we haven't heard from you in over two days we will go ahead and close this case then and mark resolved" after I emailed them more than ample times, also telling them all my points of contact when they would email me from all the different emails I had to make. This just shows how unorganized they are while not communicating with one another. No one gets back to questions I have or comments I make about their email. I had explained on multiple accounts that "I had to change my email, this is my knew XXXX" and its as if they never see what comes through from me. The emails Ive gotten always say the same thing too at the end after all my work I put in to gathering my evidence and sending it to each individual person, even XXXX  from the bank they bank through XXXX XXXX),I had sent all my evidence to on. First contact with her was on XXXX XXXX  . Then a supervisor by the name of XXXX XXXX  asked for the decision on the dispute be reconsidered on XXXX  and that's when I sent the really pertinent information over that showed XXXX  database of that specific order I was doing at the time this all happened and the name of the customer (as he (the hacker) has placed many of these two item orders before) all of which get canceled. How he uses the same fake name with multiple cards. I tried explaining that the customer shown is the person that called me and hacked me. That he is creating these fake orders to get drivers contact info and tries to trick them to do this return all while threatening suspension and then sending a code to their phone to be verified by the driver. That this has not only happened to me, that XXXX  has had complaints from multiple drivers of this happening to them. This was on the news, on XXXX  posts, all over online, XXXX  forums and he does this all over the country. I fell victim to it and they wont even reconsider me or my plea, the only email I get from this XXXX XXXX XXXX explains, "the nature of the payment in question is an instant withdrawal via a linked debit card, in order for payments of this nature to process they must be initiated from directly within your FOUND account while verifying the pin associated with you account (which is not true because I have never come across this in the past) and that there is no indication that it was compromised prior to these transactions"." There were no new devices that gained access to your account therefore ruling out your account was compromised". I feel like there is something hindering FOUND from giving the money back to me that either they dont understand what has happened STILL and why it is that they wont even credit me during the process of the investigation nor give timelines or act on their word or follow through with follow ups, and have it go way past timelines or they frankly dont want to pay the money. They have not done anything they are supposed to do as a bank should do. From my understanding they are a pretty new online banking system. 
 All I can say is theyve been nothing but resistant and shut me down each time. Im at a point in which I dont know where else to turn or who to turn to since they have made it impossible to communicate anything at all. I am to the point of wanting to file a lawsuit against their company or organization and thought it would be in my best interest to start here first if anything. I cant let this go without trying everything I can to retrieve what was stolen. That was all my hard earned money and for them to deny my tireless attempts as if I have nothing better to do feels as though my words are falling on deaf ears as my plight to recover the stolen funds go unresolved . I am a busy person and this has taken all of my time apart from work since this whole thing happened.
A total of all funds from all the banks was well over XXXX on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  in all accounts from transactions I did not allow and no one was given access to by me and somehow this person hacked into them, transferred money somehow and left me penniless without a way to pay for anything. This was the last I ever spoke to this fraudster/ hacker criminal. The number that came up was an XXXX  number (XXXX) when the call ended but said Spark delivery on it when it came through. So I was assuming that is where the call came from. I have all the evidence you could need all I need is someone willing to hear me out, take my statements and evidence into consideration, and take the time to do the work as I have been.Someone that will have my back and protect my finances and losses as I have read their are certain protections in place for consumers and bank customers like me from banks that are not out to protect their own customers and frankly don't care. That I have rights too all I need is someone to go up to bat for me. _W_H_A_T_ The bank I want to file a complaint with while also reporting this hack/scam is now with _W_H_O_ FOUND Date of transactions needing to dispute are on:
_W_H_E_N_ XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX withdrawal XXXX XXXX from taxes pocket in the amount of XXXX XXXX XXXX withdrawal from primary to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  then a withdrawal to visa debitXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
There was an Attempted transaction oXXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXhat did not go through placed in XXXX XXXX then a:
Transaction of : XXXX pocket transfer to primary on XXXX  @ XXXX and then:
another pocket transfer of: XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and then a:
Transaction of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX location New York 
then a : instant transfer of XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

_W_H_E_R_E_ scam/hack happened in Missouri : FOUND - no location /online bank - Bank through: XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

_H_O_W_ By scam/hack/fraudster/impersonator/ IdentityTheft/ cyber crime
_W_H_Y_Stolen funds/account takeover/unauthorized transactions/bank being uncooperative in retrieval, not investigating further of transactions and their destination

 FOUND bank was made aware as soon as I could talk to them the following business day XXXX since this all happened at night. I immediately froze the account on XXXX  because This person gained full access to it and they were and are still unwilling to listen to anything I had to say nor would look at my emails or attend my calls. 
They didnt provide me with any information on what to do or what will happen, just froze my account to then later find out that I wasnt able to reach them over the phone with an automated message stating that because of the freeze they are unwilling to take my call. This went on for some period of time to then later still being unable to talk to anyone even after the account was unfrozen. They set a new recording up following that stated that all disputes will be handled through email and that they don't take calls regarding disputes, which was not in place before this incident happened. I needed to promptly speak to them as I had to make them aware that this hacker was changing my account info to a different phone number and email address (XXXX XXXX XXXX) and that I needed it changed back to mine so I can access my account again and regain some form of control back. The day of XXXX XXXX I made sure that they knew that if they got any call or email not from these said contacts of mine that they were not me since I didn't have control over my account anymore and didn't want them not believing me or not knowing who was the right owner of the account. Another thing is they hadn't set any further measures in place to verify my identity for that matter to know they were speaking to the right person. Who was to know if this person would call and contact FOUND reversing any measures I had put in place. 
It almost feels as if they are the ones at fault here as I didn't receive any alert or notification of transactions or even fraud alert and the destination of where these transactions were sent was in New York. I find it kind of funny and a major coincidence that FOUNDS bank (XXXX) is located in New York. What are the odds? Again Ive sent them numerous documentation and photos, screenshots , evidence upon evidence. Ive never made transactions of this nature with this bank of mine nor with any of my other banks and FOUND doesn't even consider that odd or fishy?
I have police report that I filled immediately stating the facts and have multiple evidence based reports of this crime and the incident this man is posing on innocent people. I am not the only one. So case in point I got scammed had only verified with the man my DOB and last four of my social and name and email.This scam has shown to wreak havoc on peoples lives and the money they take from people. I have been trying to work with FOUND since XXXX  and they continue to turn a blind eye on the situation as I am shedding light on it. I am just as puzzled about this whole thing as anyone and certainly don't understand how something like this can happen and feel like its partly the banks negligence, lack of security, verification set up and protocols put in place when things like this happen. Proper verification processes and means of protecting my funds could have possibly prevented such from happening. By the next day though it was already too late at that time for the freeze to even have made a difference. I changed my account number too but again too late. If I was alerted at first when these occurred I could have saved more transactions from happening.Them not following protocol or following up right away could have made a big difference but no they allowed so much time to pass by and for it to be forgotten about and the matter to have not been dealt with a sense of urgency and time sensitive things could have resulted different but Found only gets back to me when its most convenient for them after multiple attempts of communication and reaching out. I have more than enough evidence and have a full on case in which the police are trying to catch these people who are still doing this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation