Consumer complaint received 2025-07-04 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Block, Inc.
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I saw an ad for credit repair services on XXXX from a verified account with the handle @ XXXX The ad was very professional and the XXXX had the blue verification check so I trusted it to be legit. I sent a message and was sent a link to schedule a phone call with them. I scheduled a call with them on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX.. 

During the call, they said they could remove hard inquiries, collection accounts, and other negative items from my credit report. They said, verbatim : When companies sell your debt, 99 % of the time they dont do it the right way, and thats how we get them removed off your credit. 
When I asked how long the process would take, they said 12 months ( 3060 days ). 

They sent me a welcome email with a Stripe link to pay and outlined the services Id be receiving for {$400.00}. 

That email stated I would receive : Negative accounts removed from my credit profile Collections and charge-off accounts removed Hard inquiries removed from my credit profile Client information detailing best credit practices A list of accounts I could add to increase my score A link to a secured credit card that reports six times per month 24-hour support I paid the {$400.00} via XXXX to a merchant called XXXX. Ive made the following installment payments so far : {$80.00} on XX/XX/XXXX {$58.00} on XX/XX/XXXX {$58.00} on XX/XX/XXXX After our call, the merchant had me sign up for a website called MyScoreIQ so they could pull my credit report. That service cost an additional $ XXXX. I was told I would only need to keep that membership for 12 months, the duration of the service. 

The merchant also requested my drivers license or passport and a utility bill as well as my login credentials for MyScoreIQ. I provided all required information. However, after I made the payment, the merchant stopped responding to my questions. They refused to provide updates or show any proof of work completed. They were supposed to be working on my credit, which I take very seriously. 

We pulled my credit report on XX/XX/XXXX. The results were : XXXX XXXX XXXX Derogatory : 2 2 3 Collection : 2 2 2 Inquiries ( 2 years ) : 2 7 2 On XX/XX/XXXX, I received alerts from MyScoreIQ, XXXX, and XXXX that a fraud alert had been added to my XXXX credit report. The note read : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  FRAUD ALERT : ACTION MAY BE REQUIRED UNDER FCRA BEFORE OPENING OR MODIFYING AN ACCOUNT.

When I asked the merchant, they said : Thats just us removing old addresses off your credit report.

I had never been told they would be doing this. Thats when I became suspicious. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notification that a {$19.00} charge was made to MyScoreIQ. I had already paid the monthly membership fee, so I contacted MyScoreIQ support. They told me the {$19.00} was for an instant credit report. I never authorized this. They asked if anyone else had access to my account. I explained the merchant had my login. They advised me to immediately change my password. 

That charge made no sense because the monthly {$36.00} fee already includes a free monthly credit report. The only other person with access to the account was the merchant. 

When I asked the merchant about it, they responded vaguely, saying : You are more worried about us than the negative accounts on your credit. We are confused. Please dont make false statements about deceptive business practices. 
They denied making the purchase, said they would reimburse the {$19.00} ( they never did ), and still refused to answer my questions. 

I reviewed the credit report they pulled dated XX/XX/XXXX it showed no changes from the one on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I emailed the merchant again, asking three very basic questions : Which accounts were disputed?

With which bureaus?

On what dates?

I also wrote : This is a reasonable and basic request and it should not require a phone call to fulfill. I am not refusing to move forward, but I will not continue without documented proof of action. Once I receive the above details, I will evaluate whether continuing makes sense.

They refused to answer and claimed that information was their intellectual property. They also refused to issue a refund. All of this is documented in our email thread.

Instead, they began harassing me and insisting that I speak with them by phone. I declined because I wanted everything in writing. They said : Like we told you before, you can call us so we can clear up any misunderstanding. Emailing back and forth isnt the most clear form of communication. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a dispute with XXXX and provided all my documentation, including : The full email thread between the merchant and myself A recording of our XX/XX/XXXX phone call The XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX credit reports ( showing no changes ) ( proof that no services were completed or delivered ) On XX/XX/XXXX, Afterpay closed the dispute, and said : Please note that the merchants have been invested with full authority over deliveries, quality, returns, refunds, and cancellations ; as such, they must be the ones to process them. For further assistance, please contact the store directly. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I went to my bank to dispute the charges and canceled my debit card. However, XXXX still managed to debit me {$58.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. I also filed a police report and an FBI XXXX cybercrime report since the merchant has my ID and personal information, which is a potential identity theft and I'm very worried about. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I reached out and contacted XXXX again and requested that someone higher up review the evidence. They responded saying : XXXX is unable to override a merchants policy regarding refunds or cancellations. 

However XXXX opened a second dispute, where. I submitted the same evidence from the XX/XX/XXXX dispute with XXXX, plus the police and IC3 reports, and my most recent XX/XX/XXXX credit report, which still showed no changes. 


My XX/XX/XXXX Credit report : XXXX XXXX XXXX  Derogatory : 2 2 3 Collection : 2 2 2 Inquiries ( 2 years ) : 3 8 2 Which the email thread between the merchant and I where he outlines the services I would be receiving, as well as my initial Credit Report from XX/XX/XXXX and my latest Credit Report from XX/XX/XXXX should be more than enough to show that services were not rendered and that this is a scam. 

However, XXXX closed the second dispute on XX/XX/XXXX, again siding with the merchant. Their response was : The dispute has been settled. On this occasion, we can see that the merchant has fulfilled their obligations in line with our agreement ; therefore, no refund will be processed. 


They are enabling fraud by refusing to act on clear and repeated evidence. This is a clear scam. The merchant took my money, provided no services, and is now being protected by XXXX who continues to bill me {$58.00} per installment for services I never received.

During both disputes, I submitted overwhelming documentation, while the merchant submitted nothing but a false claim stating : " Client tried to run off without paying after receiving his consultation call and providing his drivers license and his utility bill. I attach the documents the client provided. Product description : Client got the consultation that he paid for ; I can provide the clients identification forms that he sent over as proof that he got the consultation. '' This is completely false. I was required to provide my ID, utility bill, and login details for the MyScoreIQ website as a prerequisite before they would even begin services. This was clearly outlined in the very first email the merchant ever sent ( which I submitted during both disputes ), along with our entire email thread that disproves the claim of running off. In fact, it was the merchant who refused to answer basic questions about my own credit the very credit they were supposed to be repairing.

The merchant also committed fraud by using my MyScoreIQ account without my permission to pull a credit report on XX/XX/XXXX, which triggered a {$19.00} charge I never authorized. Thankfully, MyScoreIQ refunded me. However, the merchant neither asked for nor had my consent to do this, and I confronted them about it in our email thread. Despite this, they have still not delivered any of the services promised, services that were clearly outlined in their own welcome email. 

For context, here is the initial XX/XX/XXXX email I received after our phone call : Hey ( NAME REMOVED FOR PRIVACY ), It was a pleasure speaking with you today. As discussed, here is the information you requested regarding our services. Credit repair will be done between 30-60 business days in most cases. Some of our clients get results as quick as 30 business days. We will get started as soon as payment and documents are received.

Required Documents ( Please provide one from each category ) : Proof of Identification : Drivers License, Passport/Passport card, Identification Card, Military ID, or Social Security Card Proof of Address : Utility Bill with the correct address, Cell phone bill, Pay Stub , W2 form, Bank statement , State ID, or Drivers License Sign Up For Identity IQ ( You already did this part ) The best two forms would be your driver 's license and your social security card. If your driver 's license doesn't have your current address, you can also use XXXX of the methods above. 
Total For Credit Consultation : {$400.00} XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX PLEASE REMEMBER : Send us your Myscore IQ or Identityiq login DO NOT change any passwords for your Identity IQ or Myscore IQ while we are repairing your credit. 
The services that XXXX XXXX XXXX will complete : Negative accounts removed from your credit profile Collections and charge off accounts removed Hard inquiries removed from your credit profile Client information sent over detailing best credit practices List of accounts that you can add to your credit profile to increase score Link to our secured credit card that reports 6 times a month 24-hour Support All information will be sent over once proof of address and proof of identification documents are received. Thank you for working with us! 
You can also view our website for more information : XXXX XXXX : @ XXXX ( END OF MERCHANTS INITIAL " WELCOME ABOARD '' EMAIL ) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- This was only the first email from the merchant, but I have dozens more going back and forth, all of which I provided to XXXX and my bank. Anyone can clearly see they gave a timeline of 3060 days, requested my ID and utility bill upfront, and listed out the services I would be getting for the {$400.00} payment. 

I have already disputed these charges with my bank, and I truly hope they are able to reverse : {$80.00} ( XX/XX/XXXX ) {$58.00} ( XX/XX/XXXX ) {$58.00} ( XX/XX/XXXX ) Total : {$190.00} This is clear fraud. I paid for services and the merchant never delivered. Its that simple. 
This is a list of evidence I gathered and provided to XXXX ( in both disputes ), as well as to my bank and local law enforcement : Screenshots of the initial XXXX messages between the merchant and me, in response to their ad The full audio recording of our XX/XX/XXXX phone call The entire email thread between me and the merchant My XX/XX/XXXX Credit Report from MyScoreIQ The XX/XX/XXXX Credit Report from MyScoreIQ ( showing no changes ) The XX/XX/XXXX Credit Report from MyScoreIQ ( still showing no changes ) Police Report filed on XX/XX/XXXX, with officers name and badge FBI IC3 Report Confirmation ( PDF ) XXXX  refusal to act even with this overwhelming evidence is shocking!!!!!! They are enabling this fraud by protecting a scammer and continuing to charge me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief