>> BEN BRADLEY: IN TONIGHT'S WGN INVESTIGATES FRAUD IS FLOURISHING ON ZELL THE ONLINE PAYMENT PLATFORM. AND EVEN THOUGH THE SYSTEM IS OWNED BY BANKS, THEY DON'T ALWAYS RIDE TO THE RESCUE AND CUSTOMERS FALL VICTIM TO SCAMS. >> WHAT DID THIS CHICAGO BASED CONTRACTOR? AND THIS SUBURBAN LANDSCAPING COMPANY OWNER. KEVIN COMMENT. 4600 $1 TO TRAIN 7500 IN 3 TRANSACTIONS. BOTH LOST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND SOPHISTICATED SCAMS INVOLVING ZELL THE ONLINE PAYMENT PLATFORM I WAS RIPPED IT WAS STOLEN FROM ME. THE SCAMS FOLLOWED A SIMILAR PATTERN, BOTH DEBBIE AND PAUL WERE CONTACT OUT OF THE BLUE BY PEOPLE WHO THEY BELIEVE TO BE THEIR BANK. JP MORGAN CHASE. I GET A ASKING I TRIED TO DO A LOT TRANSACTIONS FOR $1092. >> RESPONDED NOW THEN DEBBIE'S PHONE RANG AND LADY ON THE OTHER LINE. NEW THAT I GOT THAT TEXT AS I I CAN HELP YOU STILL ON THE PHONE WITH WHO SHE BELIEVED WAS A CHASE REPRESENTATIVE DEBBIE RECEIVED A SECOND TEXT ASKING IF SHE AUTHORIZED THE $4600 PAYMENT VIA WHICH SHE DID NOT. AND SHE WENT ON TO SAY I'M GOING TO SEND YOU AN ALERT X NUMBER WITH A PIN NUMBER AND THEY'RE GOING TO PUT IT IN YOUR PHONE AND WE'RE GOING TO STOP THAT. DEBBIE LOGGED INTO YOUR CHASE ACCOUNT AND TOOK THE STEPS THE WOMAN RECOMMENDED BELIEVING SHE WAS REVERSING THAT FRAUDULENT SELL PAYMENT. >> WHEN IN FACT, THAT'S WHERE THE SCAM WAS. SHE TOOK MY MONEY. IT WAS GONE. AND WHAT SHE AND PAUL LEARNED THE HARD WAY WAS THAT WHEN LOSING CASH AND SCAMS LIKE THESE, YOUR BANK MAY NOT COVER YOUR LOSSES. ZELL IS A DIFFERENT PRODUCT. PETER CHAPLIN IS A PAYMENTS EXPERT AND FORMER EXECUTIVE WITH CELLS PARENT COMPANY, WHICH IS OWNED BY A GROUP OF BANKS, INCLUDING CHASE ZELL IS NOT A CREDIT TRANSACTION. IT'S NOT PROTECTED BY THE SCHEMES THAT WERE BUILT TO PROTECT CREDIT TRANSACTIONS, ITS MONEY OUT OF THE BANK AND ITS FURY, VOCAL. >> DAN ROAN: DEBBIE AND PAUL REPORTED THE SCAM TO CHASE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. BUT IN BOTH CASES, THE BANK DECLINED TO MAKE THEM WHOLE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE YOUR BACK. NO, THEY DIDN'T. AND I HAD TO FIND OUT THE HARD WAY. UNFORTUNATELY. >> IN POLL ROBERTSON'S CASE SAID THOSE COURT THIS. BUT HONESTLY, THE THE STOLEN MONEY MEANT HE COULDN'T MEET HIS PAYROLL HAD TO BORROW MONEY FROM A CLIENT, SAYS IT ON FRIDAY. THEY DID IT FRIDAY AFTERNOON SO THAT THE NEXT TRANSACTIONS, WHAT HAPPENED ON A SATURDAY AND YOU COULDN'T TALK TO ANYBODY AND THAT'S PAYDAY. SO WHEN YOU DON'T MAKE PAYDAY AND A REALLY HOT CONSTRUCTION MARKET, IF YOU HAVE SKILLED WORKERS, THEY'LL FIND OTHER PLACES WITHIN DAYS AS THE NUMBER OF CELL SCAMS MULTIPLY. THERE'S GROWING DEBATE OVER WHO IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE. THE BANKS FOR THE VICTIMS. RIGHT NOW, IT'S STILL ON THE BANKS TO MAKE A DECISION TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS TRANSACTION WAS AUTHORIZED PER THE TERMS OF YOUR AGREEMENT WITH YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, A FEDERAL LAW COVERING ELECTRONIC TRANSFERS REQUIRES THAT BANKS COVER LOSSES IF THE TRANSACTIONS ARE DETERMINED TO BE AN AUTHORIZED. BUT IN THE CASES OF PAUL AND DEBBIE CHASE SAID THEY, IN FACT, AUTHORIZED THE PAYMENTS EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE TRICKED INTO MAKING THOSE TRANSFERS. >> IT'S DEVASTATING. AND THAT'S HARD WORK MONEY THAT WE EARN. AND NOW WE'RE OUT AND CHASE DOES NOT WANT TO HOW. >> BEN BRADLEY: DELL IS APPARENTLY AWARE THERE'S AN ISSUE AND HE'S PRODUCED VIDEOS LIKE THIS ONE STARTING THE HOST OF THE MTV SHOW CATFISH TO HELP EDUCATE CONSUMERS. >> WE'LL GET A TAX FROM A SCAMMER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A CALL FROM A LOCAL NUMBER PRETENDING TO BE YOUR BANK. >> BUT THAT'S OF LITTLE HELP TO PAUL WHO BELIEVES L AND CHASE SHOULD DO MORE TO HELP HIM AND OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO FALL VICTIMS. THIS AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE I WAS ABLE TO TO BOUNCE BACK FROM THIS. BUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS BECOMES A REALLY TRAGIC EVENT IN THEIR LIFE. >> BEN BRADLEY: THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU SAYS WHEN A CONSUMER INFORMS A BANK THAT MONEY WAS STOLEN FROM AN ACCOUNT, THE BURDEN IS ON THE BANK TO PROVE THE TRANSFER WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE CONSUMER. A CHASE SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE BANK DETERMINED THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED HERE. DESPITE REPEATED OBJECTIONS FROM BOTH CUSTOMERS. SO JUST REMEMBER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PROTECTION, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, CREDIT CARD GIVES YOU A LOT OF PROTECTION. THESE PAYMENT APPS DON'T AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO CHASE. A LOT OF THE BIG BANKS ARE SEEING THIS ELSE CAN ALMOST MISSION AT WENY NEWS ABOUT
