Consumer complaint received 2024-04-06 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I was the victim of a work scam. I answered an e-mail sent out through the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX e-mail, regarding working from home for a professor related to the XXXX program. I answered and accepted the position. On XX/XX/2024, after supposedly being employed and completing an assignment I was given, I received a check for {$1600.00} from my " employer ''. I used mobile deposit to deposit the check into my XXXX savings account and received a confirmation of the transaction from the bank and the funds seemed to be available on XXXX. On the following day, XX/XX/2024 my " employer '' requested that I transfer {$1000.00} of the funds to another employee so that the other employee could use the funds to make a purchase for the department. I attempted to transfer the funds to this other person first on XXXX and then on XXXX and both times the transactions were declined. My employer asked me to then try Zelle. ( I had been following their instructions on what to do ). The transfer of {$1000.00} from my account to the other employee seemed to go through using Zelle. The situation seemed odd to me so I reached out to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  department on XX/XX/2024 ( ticket # XXXX ). Later, that same day the IT department called me and told me that the XXXX e-mail used to communicate with the so called employer/professor was fraudulent. I immediately contacted the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX police department and subsequently the XXXX XXXX XXXX Police department ( report # XXXX ). On the same day, XXXX I also contacted my bank, XXXX, to inform them of the situation. The bank immediately " froze '' my accounts both checking and savings. On XX/XX/2024, the XXXXXXXX XXXX department recommended that I file a report on IC3.gov, internal crime complaint center, which I did. On XX/XX/2024, I was contacted by XXXX and was told that I owed the bank the {$1000.00} that was sent out through Zelle. XXXX said it was my responsibility as the originally deposited check eventually bounced and the funds were not there. I feel like I am being punished twice as a victim and the bank is seemingly free of responsibility for the situation. The " virtual funds '' were transferred multiple times before XXXX determined the check was fraudulent. If XXXX had verified the check sooner or even put a hold on the funds related to the unusual activity the {$1000.00} would not have been released. Zelle could have declined the transaction themselves just as XXXX and XXXX did. If Zelle had done this, the money would never have gone anywhere. I would never have requested the transaction if I knew I didn't have the funds to cover the transaction. I truly feel like the bank, XXXX, and Zelle should share some of the responsibility for the victimization of the consumer by fraud. All of us were taken advantage of. Now a XXXX XXXX who is already short on funds and who was willing to take a job to earn some extra money, is expected to pay back what I don't even have.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation