Consumer complaint received 2025-02-27 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Fraudulent Transaction Report Scam via Zelle I am writing to report a fraudulent incident involving a scam through a XXXX ad XXXX that occurred on XX/XX/year>. I was scammed out of {$1800.00} by an individual named XXXX XXXX, who is owner of XXXX XXXX XXXX, property located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX. Advertising his guest house originally for {$1800.00} and has now created a new ad for {$1800.00}. 

Here is a detailed account of the events : Initial Interaction : On XX/XX/year>, I visited a guest house in XXXX XXXX, CA, owned by XXXX XXXX. The property was listed on XXXX for {$1800.00} per month. During the walk-through, I declined the property due to several issues, including visible XXXX mold in the bathtub and carpets, filthy conditions, and no air conditioning or heating. 

After I declined, XXXX offered to clean the house, provide a leftover air conditioning unit from the previous tenant, and include all utilities for the same rent price of {$1800.00}. He also agreed to let me remove some of the furniture and curtains that I didnt need. My friend was a witness to these discussions. The curtain were dirty and in poor condition. I did not want to hurt his feelings so asked if I could put more of a feminine touch and buy new ones. XXXX happily obliged. 

Zelle Payment and Lease Agreement : XXXX then asked for a Zelle transfer of {$1800.00} as a deposit to hold the property, promising that I would receive the key and sign the lease on XX/XX/year>. At this point, he assured me the deposit would be refunded if the deal fell through. 

Issues with Internet and Communication : When I inquired about the Wi-Fi password before signing the lease, XXXX became defensive and refused to provide it, claiming I would need to arrange my own internet through XXXX. When I confirmed the cost with XXXX, it was {$85.00} ( not {$20.00}, as XXXX had claimed ). I asked XXXX to discuss the internet issue with me, but he refused and became rude, which raised concerns about his professionalism. He then broke our verbal agreement. 

XXXX agreed to return the {$1800.00} deposit if I returned to the property to put back the curtains and a couple of pieces of furniture. My friend accompanied me as a witness, and we moved the furniture back. However, XXXX refused to return the deposit. 

Verbal Abuse and Police Involvement : When I insisted on the return of my deposit, XXXX became verbally abusive. I called the XXXX XXXX police, and XXXX XXXX arrived on the scene. XXXX gave me a check for {$1700.00} not the full {$1800.00}. 

The XXXX stayed to be witness as I immediately deposited the check via mobile deposit. XXXX then demanded the key back, I agreed once the check cleared. After the XXXX left, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX me and threatened to call the police for trespassing and said he planned to put a stop payment on the check. 

XXXX hours later, XXXX reversed the {$1700.00} check, leaving me with no refund for the {$1800.00} deposit I initially sent via Zelle. XXXX intentionally scammed me with the false promises of a clean property, returned deposit, and a false check. I have text messages from the past XXXX weeks of XXXX promising to refund me the money. I even sent the key via insured mail. He claimed to receive the key through writing and would refund the money and never did. 

I am requesting that Zelle return my money to my XXXX XXXX account and take appropriate action to prevent others from being scammed in the future. 

Attached is the reverse payment check and the incident police number, the zelle transactions and the zelle complaint response email. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation