RC in Illinois said: “I recently had an online payment and savings account with HSBC USA. It was like living a nightmare. I am currently unemployed and was extensively searching for employment on the internet. Somehow, I either submitted my personal information or it was obtained by an internet scam operation.
About two weeks ago, I received a check in the mail for $3,755 from a company called Eighty-Eight, Inc. Along with this check was a letter and evaluation form that instructed me to make purchases at two locations and send money via Western Union. The purpose was to evaluate the service I received at these locations.
I don’t know if it was out of sheer desperation or hope, but I sent this check to be deposited into my HSBC account the following morning. The next day after I sent the check to HSBC, I was watching CNN and heard the report about these internet scams/money laundering scams.
I immediately called HSBC to intercept the check that I sent. I spoke with an representative who assured me that the check had not been processed and that they (HSBC) would return the check to me.
After I spoke with HSBC, I immediately called the bank that the check was drawn from to ask if there was any way that the check could be verified as legitimate or not. The bank’s rep told me that unless they had the serial number of the check, they couldn’t verify the check.
I requested this information from HSBC via BankMail. I also called my local FBI office to report the incident. A day later, I received a call from HSBC Fraud department asking me supply information surrounding the incident. I immediately complied to their request, faxing all the information that I had received from this fictitious company.
The HSBC representative assured me that she would resolve the matter and that my accounts were Okay. A couple of days later, I attempted to pay some bills from my online account that was closed.
I called HSBC to inquire about the account and was treated rudely on the phone and hung up on. I wish that there was something I could do about this treatment.”
Editor’s Note: See more about the Eighty-Eight Inc. scam in this article. We think HSBC’s reaction is unprofessional, uncalled for, and a severe case of overkill. As a bare minimum HSBC should have been truthful with the customer. Scammed, slammed, and lied to always leaves a bad impression on almost anyone.
Related posts:
