Consumer complaint received 2020-02-22
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CT
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
I am sending you the email I sent yesterday to the Wells Fargo Board. It details all the difficulties I have had in trying to get reimbursed for fraud. 

To : The Wells Fargo Board of Directors My father had {$3000.00} taken from his savings account as a check from XXXX XXXX XXXX. It was handled through XXXX and deposited into a Wells Fargo client account. Wells Fargos Fraud Department has thus far refused to reimburse XXXX XXXX for their clients fraudulent withdrawal of funds from my Dads account. Specific information regarding this transaction follows : I am the daughter of a remarkable XXXX year old Dad and my lovely mother is XXXX. They are American Citizens who emigrated to the United States after XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, shortly after I was born. Their families farms were given to XXXX in war reparations. They lived most of their lives in a time of passbooks which had deposits and withdrawals noted in the book. They do not have a computer, an XXXX, or any XXXX. 

My Dad, is still of sound mind and body, but he is XXXX  XXXX and is challenged to read bank statements even with a high powered lit magnifier. ( He is supported by the Connecticut Services for the XXXX. ) When he informs me there is a problem, we go to the bank to take care of it. Unfortunately, it may not be immediately addressed and he does not have access to online banking. I live a couple of towns away and am there every week or two.

Dad informed me in XXXX that there was a shortage of several thousand dollars in his XXXX XXXX XXXX  Savings account. The fraudulent charges occurred between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. He would have received a paper bank statement several days into XXXX and 30 days into XXXX would have been the recommended timeline for a fraud claim. 

Peoples would not file a fraud claim until I contacted XXXX the intermediary between Wells Fargo and XXXX XXXX XXXX. I called XXXX and discussed the situation with an agent. He did a time investigation and discovered that it appeared to be an account at Wells Fargo that accepted the money, but because of confidentiality he could not state who. He told me that it appeared to be fraudulent, and we should pursue a claim. That same day my Dad and I filed the Unauthorized Debit Transaction Form XX/XX/XXXX. 

This disputed transaction has been in the hands of Wells Fargo since XX/XX/XXXX. They have refused to pay the money that their accountholder illegally took from my parents savings account. As of XX/XX/XXXX they continue to contest this fraudulent XXXX Check from my parents Savings account. 

More specific bank information from my parents XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX  : XX/XX/XXXX # ACH Credit XXXX Verifybank Addition {$0.00} XX/XX/XXXX # ACH Credit XXXX Verifybank Addition {$0.00} XX/XX/XXXX # ACH Withdrawl XXXX Verifybank Subtraction {$0.00} XX/XX/XXXX # ACH Withdrawl XXXX Echeck Subtraction {$3000.00} I spoke to XXXX Agent from XXXX to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. He did not disclose that it was Wells Fargo that was the destination of this series of withdrawals. He did state that the XXXX clients and told me they opened up XXXX accounts in XXXX and XXXX. He was unable to pull up specific information about these transactions and, because of the inability of XXXX to verify them, he told me to Dispute the Transactions. 

I have been in regular communication with XXXX XXXX branch manager and she continues to inform me of the lack of progress on this dispute between Peoples and Wells Fargo. I would have liked to talk to a member of the Wells Fargo fraud department, but there is no available telephone number or email address.

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