Complaint Review: 7 Minute Loan - Plantation Florida

I have a very poor credit score and was seeking a loan to pay off some bills and reconsolidate. Looked online for companies that accept low credit score induviduals. Found several, filled out contact information, some with all personal details, including social secururity number. Was contact by many, but 7 Minute Loans was one of the first who was willing to provide me with a $10K unsecured loan, despite my low credit score.

Only thing I needed to do was to prove I had bank account and had money to repay the loan. I was asked to take $1K cash out from my bank and buy 2x $500 Green Dot MoneyPak cards at a nearby CVS. Found it strange (I actually never heard of Green Dot, but with the possibility to pay bills and make a good start to improve my credit score by paying down my credit cards. I hestantly proceeded, especilly as the money would be refunded immidiatly along with the $10K loan. 

After 5 minutes I was told that there was a need to insurance the "unsecured" loan , for the amount of $670, again payable by Green Dot MoneyPak. I immidiatly requested the whole transaction to be cancelled and the $1K I paid to be refunded to me immidiatly. This was not possible according to the guy as the money was in the system. After several reassurances from him and his manager, I felt I had no choice but to do pay, hoping it wasn't a scam and entrusting human kind. Again I withdrew cash from my bank account and bought 2 Green Dot MoneyPak's (1x$500 + 1x$170) at the CVS and gave the guy the numbers. All this time on the same call.

After 5 minutes or so, the General Manager came on the line and appologized but the lender needed $870 instead, again payable by Green Dot MoneyPak. I was outraged and again demanded all my money back, didn't matter how. It was not possible and I needed to pay or loose all money already paid. My suggestion to pay the difference between the $670 and $870 ($200) couldn't be done, I needed to do a whole new transaction for $870, payable by Green Dot MoneyPak. I was outraged, furious and knew it was a scam.

However, I now already paid $1,670 and they have all my personal information, including my social secutity number.  So yes, I paid the $870 ... now a total of $2,540 down the whole. 

Mind you, all this time they stayed on the line woth me .... get it .... they kept me occupied and distracted, not able to Google or look up any reviews. 

It took 2 minutes for the General Manager to come back to me and tell me that I made a mistake by paying $870 while the amount should be $817. As it was my mistake, I needed to fix it by paying $817, again through Green Dot MoneyPak cards.

I told him I couldn't, have no more cash, I emptied my bank account. He treathend me that I would lose all my money and no loan, my choice .... 

When iI told him I really couldn't pay anything anymore he hung up the phone. I called back and all I got was the same thing, pay or have nothing. I pleaded, begged to refund me my money but that was it. When I told him I was going to the authorities he said good luck and hung up. They have not answered my call.

This is part one, the scam. The safa continues as I tried to call Green Dot MoneyPak and all I could find on their website was a link to dispute a transaction, no phone number for immidiate action. 

So I went to my local police department to fill a report. Surprisinly, the police department had a "special number" for Green Dot. While filing my report, getting symphathy but also those "you stupid a*s" looks from the officer, I talked with what turned out to be a call center agent from Green Dot in the Philipiens. After giving him all 6 card numbers, he told me he would block these cards. Time between blocking and giving the last card numbers, approximatly 1 hour. The agent also advised me I I needed to file a claim online. I did that right after getting home from the police department. As soon as I submitted the dispute (had to make 2 seperate due to the 6 cards used and can only submit 5 cards per dispute), I received an auto-generated email from Green Dot MoneyPak telling me to email a scanned copy of the cards and purchase receipts from the store I bought the cards at which I did.

I also filled an official complaint with the Internet Cyber Crime Task Force (ic3.gov) and the Florida BBB.

The next day I contacted Green Dot MoneyPak again as I wasn't really satisfied and didn't want to wait 5 business days to hear back from them. Again, call center agent in the Philipiens, dispute supervisor. She told me that she could see that the MoneyPak cards were loaded onto a Green Dot debit card. Great, block them suckers and refund me my money!! She actually couldn't tell me if there was still money on these cards as I'm not entitled to this privelaged information ... excuse me ?!?! 

No, I had to wait for someone from the dispute department to contact me within 5 business days. 

I tried to look up Green Dot Corporation and get a local US phone number but no such luck. The numbers listed are all disconected and no longer in use. Only way to contact someone from Green Dot is the call center number and speak to an call center agent. In my search for Green Dot I noticed it being a publicly traded company .... really, no US number or ability to talk to someone from corporate?!?!

Now I sit and wait for someone to call me ... if I'm luck and knowing my luck, I'll end up paying somene from Green Dot with a Green Dot MoneyPak to get the information.