Consumer complaint received 2023-10-04
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I was called on my cell phone on XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  at XXXX, the number showing up as XXXX XXXX XXXX, which is the number for the XXXX XXXX XXXX Sheriff 's office, and informed that I had failed to turn up as an expert witness at a federal trial that day after being summoned by XXXX XXXX of CA on XX/XX/XXXX ( I am a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, who often deals with court summons so was immediately alarmed. I am also XXXX XXXX XXXX and the mother of a XXXX, so was very concerned my career and lively hood were in jeopardy ). The caller said that I had signed off on the summons and that I had been delivered 100-200 confidential documents at XXXX at my home address. 

They informed me there were two charges against me, Failure to appear FTA-CV-7644 and Contempt of Court COC CV-9679 . They informed me there was a suppression order, or gag order, on the trial so I was not allowed to speak to anyone about this matter, not my husband, not my employer. They informed me to stay on the phone with them throughout the entire process as they were tracking me and that they would be able to tell if I was trying to call to call or speak to anyone else. They told me the duration of the phone call was being recorded and that they judge would be listening to the recording at a later date. 

At this point I was directed to leave my office and was given direction to write an email to my employer that I needed to leave due to a family emergency, I went to my car, scared, to continue the conversation. In the car, they said I would be arrested if I was non-compliant. They informed me I could show up to the Sheriff 's office ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and be booked and processed, or I could pay the bond in the amount of {$8000.00} either through a third party bond agency or online. They told me they would be able to tell if I had the {$8000.00} in my bank account but then told them if I didn't. They said I would be in legal trouble later if that was the case. 

They informed me that once they received confirmation of my payment I would be able to go to the Sheriff 's office and undergo a signature verification to prove that I did not sign the summons to appear and that the payment could be refunded. They told me that they believed me when I said I didn't sign the summons and said they just wanted to help me set all of this straight and they were sure that I would be refunded after I showed my signature. 

Based on their directions I sent {$3500.00} over XXXX to XXXX and they wanted me to send {$4500.00} over XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I was unable to do this in my car due to lack of wifi, so I drove home, to an empty house to get on wifi to complete the payment. When it did not work again, they were calm on the phone with me as I told them it wasn't working and I was then provided the phone number of XXXX XXXX XXXX to use. The payment went through, so at this point I had paid {$8000.00}. 

Two of the men I spoke to pretended to be XXXX  XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX Sheriff 's office ; on our call I googled their names and saw those named officers were members of the office. 

After I paid the {$8000.00}, a second part of the scam/fraud began which involved me sending {$9000.00} more to them, but this time via XXXX and dropping it off in a XXXX envelope at the XXXX Sheriff 's office address in XXXX XXXX , CA, more than an hour from my house. However, at this point, though I was alone and scared at home, I realized I was being victimized. 

When I refused to comply they informed me I was going to be arrested imminently and taken to jail. There were a lot of fear tactics used throughout this 2-3 hour ordeal, and I was so fearful by the end of it that when I called the police to report what happened I asked the officer to stay on the phone with me while by coincidence a XXXX  delivery person approached my home- I was worried it was the men who targeted me showing up at my home. 

They knew information about my address and my profession, which made their scheme convincing, as I typically deal with court orders and subpoenas in my professional role as a XXXX XXXX XXXX 

Since the incident I have done the following : 1 ) Raised two claims with Wells Fargo a ) Claim # XXXX for the {$4500.00} paid via XXXX b  ) Claim # XXXX for the {$3500.00} paid via XXXX 2 ) Spoken to XXXX XXXX XXXX Deputy District Attorney, XXXX XXXX 3 ) Raised an FTC Claim # XXXX 4 ) Completed an FBI report 5 ) Completed a police report with XXXX XXXX XXXX Police ( spoke with XXXX XXXX, badge # XXXX, case # XXXX ) Wells Fargo have declined both claims. A shortened version of the FBI report is attached along with claim correspondence with Wells Fargo.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation