Consumer complaint received 2020-02-09
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CO
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
XXXX FRAUD happened on my XXXX year old son and my joint Wells Fargo account on XX/XX/XXXX. We live in Colorado. However someone in Georgia made 3 false ATM? check deposits. Basically blank checks, except for the amounts written on them for {$200.00}, {$160.00} & {$40.00}. Totaling {$400.00}. ( Note we have NEVER been to Georgia or know anyone in GA. AT ALL! ) Immediately after the check deposits were made, this criminal scammer sent the same {$400.00} to themselves via XXXX pay, which made the account go negative. ( There was only about {$75.00} or so in the account before all of this happened. ) We immediately filed fraud charges with Wells Fargo via phone. Then they transferred us to a different WF department to file the XXXX transaction as fraud. They told us everything should be cleared up within 10 business days. 

Side note* I had forgotten that we had an automatic transfer set up from a savings to his checking for {$100.00} every Monday that would go into his account. It did go into his account that Monday, still keeping his account negative, but WF would not reverse that and give him our {$100.00} back! Seriously! So frustrating! 

WF did finally acknowledge the checks were fraudulent and reversed those charges. However when two weeks passed and we still heard nothing in regards to the XXXX fraud, and the account was still negative, we called WF back on XX/XX/XXXX. They literally LOST the XXXX claim! Couldn't find it anywhere in their system. So we filed another claim, and we were told we would hear back within 10 business days. My son had his birthday, XXXX, XXXX XXXX, and our family vacation with NO money, except some cash we lent him. But no debit card, no working checking account, etc. 

Again, no word from WF within the next 10 days, so I called them back again on XX/XX/XXXX. I can't even make this up, but they said they literally couldn't find the second XXXX claim that was filed on XX/XX/XXXX! I gave them case numbers, reference numbers, rep names, etc. But they said they couldn't find it and would file ANOTHER ONE! I am beyond frustrated at this point! The next time I spoke to them, they said the XXXX claim was declined and that they would not refund the money! I can't XXXX  believe this! Someone STOLE {$400.00} from a XXXX year old 's account and our bank that we TRUST with ALL of our personal and business accounts, won't refund our money?! 

Wells Fargo MUST investigate and dig deeper into this FRAUD to find the persons account that it went into and go after that SCAMMER! Not deny their customer what's rightfully our money! What about Regulation E, the Electronic Funes Transfer Act?! Wells Fargo, GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK PLEASE! This is 100 % FRAUDULENT! My son has NEVER USED XXXX! EVER! He uses XXXX and has no clue how to even use XXXX! 

WF says the {$400.00} XXXX payment was sent with the phone number on file for him? 100 % FALSE! I went into the WF branch where we opened our accounts at, and spoke to the banker that has us as clients on his books. He wants to fight for us but there's only so much he can do. I sat in the branch for an hour while he called the fraud department himself and they told him to fax any additional information to them. Therefore we faxed all of the phone 's information, such as the IMEI, serial number, etc. to the phone to prove that this must have been a mobile hacking and was absolutely NOT my sons doing, or on his device! NO WAY! 

Here we are into XXXX! Tomorrow will be 2 months since this happened and the account is still negative! WF is going to report us in two days to a company called XXXX XXXX XXXX, which will affect my sons ability to get a bank account in the future. They only way WF won't do this is if we bring the account to {$0.00} from the negative balance! Seriously, we have to give them another {$180.00} to bring the account to {$0.00} now, just so we won't be reported! I have no choice but to pay this! I am in such shock! 

I have NEVER had, or heard of a bank denying legitimate fraud claims on behalf of their customers! The sad thing is that this is also happening to other people for even more money! XXXX it, it's terrible! How can we trust any bank at this point!? Or XXXX for that matter! Disgusting! PLEASE GIVE BACK OUR MONEY WELLS FARGO, before I have to take legal action! It's the principal at this point! Do the right thing for your customer, or I'm seriously taking legal action and moving all of our accounts to another bank!

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