Consumer complaint received 2026-05-27 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: AL

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding a fraud claim with USAA in which the bank acknowledged that fraudulent activity occurred but is still holding me responsible for a resulting negative balance. I was the victim of a bank impersonation scam. I received a phone call that displayed USAA on my caller ID from an individual claiming to be part of USAAs fraud department. The caller advised that suspicious transfers were being investigated on my account and that my account would be placed in a maintenance or security stage. I was instructed that, in order to verify I was not responsible for the transactions and to secure my account, I needed to transfer funds to XXXX XXXX using debit card information provided by the caller. At all times, I believed I was following legitimate instructions from USAA to protect my account. I did not knowingly authorize a transfer to a third party for personal benefit. My actions were induced by an individual impersonating USAA using caller ID spoofing and social engineering tactics. After discovering the fraud, I reported the incident promptly to USAA within approximately XXXX days. USAA conducted an investigation and provided written notice stating that the disputed transfer was fraudulent and that the funds were returned to the originating account. However, USAA declined to provide any monetary adjustment and instead held me responsible for the negative balance created by the reversal of the fraudulent funds. As a result, my account became negative in the amount of {$4000.00}, and USAA has since charged off the account, creating additional financial and credit-related harm. USAA subsequently concluded that no error occurred. I respectfully dispute this determination. This conclusion appears to rely on the assumption that the transactions were authorized without adequately considering that they were induced by an individual impersonating USAA. I did not knowingly authorize a payment to a third party, nor did I benefit from the funds in any way. The negative balance exists solely as a result of confirmed fraudulent activity. Given these circumstances, I believe this matter should have been evaluated under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act ( Regulation E ) as a fraud-induced or unauthorized electronic fund transfer. The failure to properly account for the impersonation and deception involved has resulted in an improper assignment of liability. I am requesting that USAA reconsider this matter, remove the negative balance created by the fraudulent activity, reverse the charge-off, correct any related negative credit reporting, and restore my account to its status prior to the scam. I also request that the bank review whether its investigation appropriately addressed the fact that this was a bank impersonation scam involving caller ID spoofing. I can provide supporting documentation, including USAAs fraud determination letter, correspondence with the bank, and any additional reports if needed.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation