Consumer complaint received 2023-10-25
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AZ
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Virtual currency
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2023, I was working on my computer, it locked up with a notification from XXXX that my computer had been infected with a virus. I was unable to exit out of that page and even tried to shut off my computer. I turned it back, on the page was still there with the Official XXXX logo and a phone # to call. I called XXXX. I spoke with someone who did a variety of things to my computer. Then told me that my XXXX address had been compromised and that someone had compromised my finances. He told me that he was going to connect me on a secure phone line to Wells Fargo. I NEVER told him I banked with Wells Fargo. He told me to tell them that my XXXX address had been compromised and that they needed to put my accounts on a high alert and monitor them for XXXX hours. I asked for his ID # and it was XXXX. 
He then transferred me to XXXX XXXX, ID # XXXX Who identified himself as a Wells Fargo employee. The # on my phone was XXXX, Wells Fargos business customer service #. I have business accounts with them. He said at XXXX there was a charge made of {$25000.00} on my account. And at XXXX the bank called me because of suspicious charges but that the phone call was intercepted and approved by the bad people. He said that we needed to create a duplicate account to catch them when they tried to process the charge. This had to be done within the next 2 hours to make sure it didnt go through. I spent the next 4 hours doing what he told me to do. With him on the phone the entire time I went to 2 different branches and cash checks. Then he had me go to a government ATM and deposit the money. He told me the US Marshall was working with the bank to catch these people. It actually was a Bitcoin ATM which I knew nothing about at that time. During this time, we would get disconnected, he would call me back again showing Wells Fargos #. I have Photos of this. I sent photocopies of the receipts to phone # XXXX. He told me that he would be calling me Monday morning at XXXX to let me know that everything had been handled and not to worry and that I could reach him at any time at the # that I had sent those copies to. That evening, I was telling my daughter all of this, thats when I realized I had been scammed and called the XXXX Police department. Police Report. # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I have filed a claim with 2 different departments at Wells Fargo. They denied my claims, taking no responsibility for the fact that it was their phone # and supposedly an employee of theirs. I have disputed this to the highest level of authority. I have also filed reports with the Elder Abuse Services, Adult Protection Services, The Internet Crime Complaint Center, and The Federal Trade Commission. I am absolutely devastated at the loss of almost my entire savings account. I trusted my banking institution. They have shown me absolutely no compassion.

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