A University of Nevada, Las Vegas student has been battling a bank for more than two months after she claims thieves took her student loan.
Katie Hoffman said that Chase Bank refused to listen to her concerns. Her student loan was intended to cover living expenses, and she claims that losing it has caused her excessive stress at a time when she should be enjoying her imminent graduation.
“Being a student and the wire transfer money that was stolen, $7,500 of a FAFSA student plus loan,” Hoffman said. “So, that was my money to live on while I finished school, and now I’m kind of left high and dry.”
Hoffman will graduate in May with a doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Yet she says her experience at UNLV went sideways when she received a text in February.
“When I received that text message, I went ahead and answered that text message, which I’ve received before for fraud,” Hoffman said.
The communication claimed to be from Chase, warning her about wire fraud. She claims she followed a link and then her phone rang. She stated that the number calling was the same as the one on the back of her Chase bank card.
She stated that she answered several phone questions, such as the names of two of her closest family members. The alleged agent assured Hoffman she’d get a call the next day. That phone call never came.
She noticed $7500 in her account was gone, and Hoffman said she started getting a sinking feeling.
“Here I am still fighting Chase for information and for my student loan to be returned to me,” Hoffman told 8newsnow.com.
Hoffman reported the incident to several federal and state law enforcement agencies. Chase denied her claim. The bank told her she “authorized the transfers” and then added that “There was no bank error on our part.”
In a statement to 8newsnow.com, the bank said “We tried to recover the funds without success. We urge all consumers to ignore phone or internet requests for money.”