Consumer complaint received 2023-03-04
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CT
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2023, at XXXX XXXX I had an appointment that I made earlier in the week with a branch that is approximately one hour away from my home in an ongoing effort to resolve my issue of not being able to facilitate a Fraud Claim with Wells Fargo Bank. The appointment was made with a XXXX XXXX XXXX at the XXXX, CT XXXX, who is aware of the fraud on the account. I made this individual aware of the fraud last year and felt most comfortable meeting with this individual to help me file the claim. I was at this location and the XXXX contacted the XXXX XXXX. on my behalf and at my request, and we spoke with a XXXX XXXX named XXXX. I was at the bank on XX/XX/2023, for over 2 hours submitting this claim with XXXX and providing all the checks, dates, and amounts. The XXXX XXXX XXXX was manually entering each check and stated she would provide a case number once she had completed entering all the information. It was taking much longer than I first anticipated and had another appointment that I had to attend, so the Premier Banker and myself asked XXXX if she could provide me with a case number as I had to leave for an appointment. XXXX had stated to me that she was not finished entering the checks, so I asked her if she could email or send a secure message to my Wells Fargo account with the case number so I could follow up. XXXX stated that she could in fact do that and it would not be a problem. On Wednesday, XXXX XXXX, 2023, I called the Fraud Department at Wells Fargo to follow up on the claim I filed with XXXX and to see why I did not receive the case number as promised. I learned that day that they had no claim for fraud filed. I asked the representative to look again as I was in the bank last week and spent over two hours filing one. Again, I was told no case number or claim was in the system. 
This is the same thing that I have come across since last year when I first found the fraud on the account. It is impossible to file a claim even when I have done so in a branch with a Wells Fargo employee assisting to initiate the claim with me. I do not know why it is so difficult to get a claim filed and why I have to keep complaining about the same issue with the CFPB about Wells Fargo not doing its job and assisting in filing the claim for Fraud. Why is the bank allowed to keep putting it off and not scrutinized when the CFPB is made aware that the same issue is still unresolved with the same banking institution? Wells Fargo has been permitted to have unauthorized individuals write checks, sign them and cash them fraudulently repeatedly with no regard for the law. Why is Wells Fargo not held accountable for this act and the actions that they will not allow the customer to file the fraud claim? What about the Banking Laws? Does Wells Fargo not follow the banking laws that were set forth by our government? Why are they allowed to break the law and get away with it? The following law is a perfect example of the law on fraud. It is a CRIME. 

18 U.S.C. 1344 " Bank Fraud states that anyone who knowingly executes a scheme in order to defraud a financial institution to obtain money or property from a financial institution using fraudulent representations, will face imprisonment and fines. '' I know that the limitations that the bank is responsible for can change as time goes by and I believe that the bank is stalling so that the amount that they would be responsible for would be less since so much time has been allowed to pass on the bank 's behalf. 
Wells Fargo ignored this crime and permitted it to keep happening against an elderly person, over and over with the same individuals committing the fraud. If the bank tellers kept allowing the crime to go on, maybe the tellers were involved in the fraud. The act only seised, once I was named and appointed Trustee and I took control of the Trust account after the owner of the said Trust account became deceased. The Power of Attorney was allowed to commit fraud on the account as well. I have the bank records which show which account the Power of Attorney was given access to and the Trust is not the account they were given access to. Furthermore, if I had to obtain orders as the Trustee to gain access to the Trust Account why would the bank allow the Power of Attorney to write checks to himself and signed them POA before and after the death of the account holder? I guess I did not need to obtain a Tax Identification number from the Federal Government and I did not need to obtain the court 's permission and be named the Personal Representative and Trustee. There was no need to spend the money in obtaining such official documents if in fact anyone could sign and write checks including the POA. 
I want a claim filed and all individuals involved to be held liable, INCLUDING WELLS FARGO. Their banking practices have failed and the fact that this is now the third complaint that I have had to file and still have no resolution and the individuals who were allowed to commit the fraud are free is ridiculous. They have committed a crime including the bank for allowing the fraud to go on for so long. 
If I can not get assistance from the CFPB, I will seek assistance from the local broadcasting stations/networks. If the CFPB chooses not to help and allows Wells Fargo to get away with fraud then it is my duty and belief that I need to make the Department of Justice aware of such an act committed by the CFPB and Wells Fargo. I have proof of the acts of fraud and yet that is not enough for the CFPB to get Wells Fargo to allow me to make a claim for fraud. I have mentioned before that I have attempted to file the claim in multiple ways and nothing happens. Even the " fancy '' departments called the Enterprise Complaints Management Office '' does nothing and I was told can not do anything and that I have to file a claim with the Fraud Department. Wells Fargo has literally dragged their feet and bounced me back and forth and this matter goes nowhere. I am not going away or giving up and that is exactly what they want me to do since it has been close to a year and I am still chasing Wells Fargo to file the claim. Wells Fargo must be held liable for not following the banking laws set forth by the United States Federal Government. Allowing a banking institution to neglect the law is the same as the individual ( s ) who committed the act of fraud, to begin with. A call for accountability and justice is needed and someone needs to intervene and take the necessary action to obtain justice for the acts against an elderly woman who is now deceased and was a victim of fraud allowed by Wells Fargo. 
It is difficult to believe that I wasted over 2 hours in a Wells Fargo Branch and no fraud claim was even submitted. What was XXXX doing then? Wells Fargo has been allowed to get away with this action long enough.

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