Consumer complaint received 2024-05-09 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
State: NH

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year> I received a phone call from XXXX belonging to Navy Federal credit Union at XXXX XXXX upon answering the call the caller identified themselves as XXXX XXXX with XXXX XXXX XXXX department rep ID XXXX and that my account had been compromised after XXXX payments were detected by a XXXX XXXX XXXX phone in XXXX, Illinois in the amounts of XXXX XXXX and {$100.00}. XXXX asked if I was familiar with the payment process or the charges. I told XXXX that I had never used XXXX or knew how it worked. XXXX told me the next steps to prevent the charges were to verify my device which was completed by clicking alerts sent to my phone from XXXX, he then assigned me a temporary password to access my account, XXXX $ and offered to disconnect the XXXX payment option from my account if I desired, which I told him to go ahead and do. XXXX then placed me on a brief hold while he stopped these payments and to ask any questions I had. I asked him if I should get a new credit card since that was how this old payments were initiated and if I should only use the tap payment feature. XXXX informed me that I should switch credit cards and use the tap payment option when available but that payment option is also susceptible to scams after the information is intercepted. At this point, XXXX informed me that these XXXX payments had been stopped, and the payment method was disconnected from my account. However, fraudulent activity was detected in the amount of {$8000.00} deposited into my account by XXXX XXXX account ending in XXXX to my savings account, XXXX asked me if I knew XXXX, I informed him that I did not. XXXX told me not to worry that he would locate the member that the {$8000.00} belonged to and to ask any questions I may have. I thanked him for preventing the XXXX payments and asked him how long hed been working at XXXX XXXX to which answered XXXX years, then asked him what wouldve happened if I had not answered my phone with such a large fraud case to which he informed me that a message wouldve been left asking when a good time would be to speak to correct the fraudulent activity. at that time XXXX informed me he had located the member account the {$8000.00} belonged to, XXXX XXXX account ending in XXXX and that I needed to transfer the {$8000.00} to that account. XXXX set up the member member transfer link and instructed me to transfer {$4000.00} to the account. I was placed on hold while he operated the background features to allow another transfer to happen and encouraged to ask any questions I may have, I asked XXXX if he had ever served in the military himself and he told me he had not and was just a navy federal fraud department representative. XXXX then instructed me to transfer {$2000.00} and again was placed me on a brief and encouraged asking any questions I might have. At this time, my wife walked in on the conversation happening on speakerphone, and I was telling her how fraud had happened in our account and that I was correcting it with Navy Federal. And then I asked XXXX where he had gone to college he told me he had gone to XXXX and then transferred to the XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX then told me that we were ready to proceed with the next transfer of {$1000.00}. I was placed on hold for XXXX to XXXX minutes before the call ended. I called the number back and was connected to Navy Federals automated system and requested to speak to XXXX XXXX rep ID XXXX with the fraud department to move the final {$1000.00} that did not belong to me to the account that it belonged to. The Navy Federal member services representative informed me that that is not how their system works, and she can not guarantee that I would be connected with the same person that I had just got a call from, but said she would put me through to the fraud department. Once I was connected with the fraud department I informed him that I was calling to finish moving the last {$1000.00} to XXXX XXXX account. The representative I was connected with told me that Navy Federal would not have called me and asked why would we call you when we could move the money ourselves. I told him that I didnt know they could do that and asked how someone could call me from their number to which he educated me on how software existed to allow scammers to spoof a number and have it registered as any number they wanted it to be. The representative questioned if I had applied for an {$8000.00} loan which I answered no he then asked me if I set up member member transfers which I told him the Navy Federal representative that I spoke to set it up. The fraud department representative told me that I had been scammed and just given my money away. I remained on the line with the fraud department representative for XXXX hour and XXXX minutes, securing my account, resetting passwords, account numbers, and gathering information on how to submit a fraud claim and getting new checks. While on the line I began to have a XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and emailed my XXXX XXXX XXXX  requesting her soonest appointment. I asked the fraud representative on how a loan can get taken out in my name without me being notified and if my identity or Social Security number had been compromised, but did not get a good answer on how the loan is processed. On Friday, XX/XX/year> I went to the XXXX police department in New Hampshire and report with an officer case number XXXX and sent a secure message via Navy Federal secure messaging system. on Saturday, XX/XX/year> the personal expense loan posted to my mobile banking app in the amount of {$8000.00} concerned I called XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX to freeze my credit. I was able to get more information about the loan from XXXX as I got a credit alert, that a new employer had been added to my Credit Report named XXXX XXXX XXXX I Requested that to be removed as it was fraudulent. On Monday, XX/XX/year> upon checking my mobile app I found that {$8000.00} had been deducted automatically from my checking account to cancel out the loan that I never approved of or submitted for. I contacted Navy Federal to get a reason why this was done since I did not apply for the loan and I was told that it was to correct the loan while the investigation was being conducted. my wife was on the line with me and we asked if our account wouldve gone negative had we not had an emergency fund to which she said yes. They did inform us that we may receive a provisional credit while investigation is ongoing. At XXXX XXXX I had my appointment with my therapist XXXX XXXX to strategize on handling the stress and impact process was having on my mental health as Ive been struggling with that over the last year. I called Navy Federal back, trying to get a timeline and if I could contact the investigator. I was told that the investigator would reach out to me if they needed any extra information for the determination. I spoke with another fraud department representative informed me we should have a determination by XX/XX/XXXX. XX/XX/year> {$3000.00} credit was deposited into the savings account. On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter from Navy federal dated XX/XX/year> informing me that after their investigation that no error occurred based on account activity and that I am responsible for the full amount of the claim. I immediately called Navy Federal to get more information on how this determination was decided. The member service representative was unable to provide any information but told me he reopened the case and marked it urgent so I will get a reply in XXXX hours. On XX/XX/year> I reached back out to the bank after not receiving any communication attempts. The member services representative informed me that the funds had been voluntarily surrendered and were not considered to be fraudulent and that no further investigation would happen unless new evidence was provided. 

I dont understand how I can be held accountable for a loan that I did not apply or sign for as the {$7000.00} of {$8000.00} that was transferred was due to a forged loan in my name and should not have been there without my knowledge for me to voluntarily surrender it in the first place as the loan didnt post to my profile until XXXX days later.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief