Consumer complaint received 2018-01-26
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
I had subscribed to an online computer support company for more than a year, they are called XXXX XXXX XXXX. My contact there is only known to me as someone named XXXX. He has contacted me on at least 2 different phone numbers XXXX and XXXX. I think they might be based in another country but am not positive. They offer software to speed up your computer and virus/ malware protection. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX from their company called me to let me know they would be giving me a refund because their software was not working properly. He called me the next morning on XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX XXXX  to let me know they were going to deposit {$460.00} into my account with XXXX  XXXX XXXX. 

I have online banking and I made the mistake of allowing him to access my computer with their software at this time. He said he was just going to do a Direct deposit while I was watching, but first did a preliminary deposit of {$100.00} dollars for some reason. There was then computer glitch, lag or something he said, the decimal point moved and the deposit became XXXX dollars instead of XXXX .... then this happened again on the screen they apparently deposited {$20000.00} dollars into my account and I was pretty shocked. The guy ( XXXX ) panicked and said he was going to lose his job etc.. and that I needed to refund this to his company. To make a long story shorter, he gave me these two Wells Fargo account numbers along with names ( a supervisor ) that I was to deposit the excess money into after I withdrew it from my account that same day ( XX/XX/XXXX ) He had me deposit one amount of {$9500.00} and {$9000.00} into two separate accounts at Wells Fargo which I did for them that same day, thinking that it was their money. Strangely later that day, he called me asking me to destroy the papers which i wrote the account information on and the Wells Fargo Deposit slips.. he gave me some reasons for doing so, and I started to but I stopped and I still have them in my possession. He then advised me to leave my computer turned off all night until the next day because supposedly he said my computer was being hacked. The next day he wanted to contact me again so I could deposit the rest of the money to them, minus my refund. 

The next morning of the XX/XX/XXXX, I woke up early, thinking about everything, I checked my online banking at XXXX XXXX XXXX with my phone and saw that my XXXX XXXX XXXX credit card had an extra XXXX dollars on it. Immediately I went to my XXXX XXXX  XXXX branch to talk to a manager.. during that time and the next two hours, XXXX called my phone non-stop but I refused to answer. The Manager at XXXX XXXX XXXX checked their internal system and said that a cash advance was taken from my Card into my own checking account. Immediately then I was sure of what happened. I was led to believe that it was an external deposit into my account but it was my own money from my card that I had deposited into the Wells fargo accounts for a total of {$18000.00}. 

Afterwards I went to make a police report at my local Sheriffs ' dept. but after waiting quite a while, they told me they do n't do paper reports for that type of thing, so I completed one online. I later went to Wells Fargo to give them the account numbers and deposit slips and one of the  managers submitted the information to one of their departments, though, because I had started to tear up the papers previously, I did not have part of one of the account holders names, until i went back home and found the other piece. I re-submitted that to Wells fargo the following Monday morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and I spoke to the same manager and she was pretty helpful. 

Meanwhile I faxed a copy of the police report and a copy of an 'Identity Theft Victim 's Complaint and Affidavit ' and also photo copies of the Wells fargo accounts and deposit slips - on XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX  's fraud division. 

I have been trying to follow up on this and so far I am hearing from XXXX XXXX XXXX that I will still owe them the {$20000.00} dollars and Wells Fargo will not hear my case directly because I am a third party to the accounts, and they will not give me any information. there has been a more recent development though. 

Today XX/XX/XXXX, The guy who scammed me " XXXX '' called me again. he had been attempting to call me, I believe because he probably wanted to get me to deposit the rest of the money he claimed I owed them and most likely try to do more damage, SO, because I had submitted the account information to Wells Fargo, i wanted to give them more time to possibly put a hold on those accounts, before XXXX figured out that I was on to the scam. When he called me a few days ago i told him I was in an accident and in the hospital and could n't talk. 
Today, when he called back I told him the same thing. I said I was in a motorcycle accident and might get out next week.THIS time though, he was upset angry and asked me if I did anything with the bank because he said they could not get the money out of those accounts, he was panicking and tried to ask me a lot of questions.. even offered to pay my hospital bill! I said I was on medication and couldnt talk. ( as I am trying to still not let on I know anything as long as possible ) This tells me that Wells fargo HAS put a hold on those accounts that contain my money from my credit card. Unfortunately though, I have no legal basis at this time or I dont know how to communicate with Wells Fargo about the fact I deposited my money into those accounts under a false belief it was not my own.

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 non-monetary relief