Consumer complaint received 2022-02-03
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: VA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022 I was called by who she thought was Wells Fargo. The number calling was Wells Fargo 's certified number XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX. The caller explained that someone was hacking her account and attempting to transfer all of our funds from the account using XXXX. The caller said that if I did not transfer money through XXXX back to myself then all of our money would be taken. After I transferred {$1000.00} over the caller hung up. Immediately realizing my mistake I called Wells Fargo customer service and reported the fraud. After waiting XXXX weeks for a response I reached back out to Wells Fargo customer service. When I talked with them they belittled me and said I should be more responsible with my finances. When I asked them if they knew about this scam they told me yes. I asked why Wells Fargo would not find this pertinent information to pass on to customers as a warning. They had no answer. Later on we received a letter in the mail denying the fraud claim and stating that they found the event in question to be an authorized transaction despite the fact we have had the account over XXXX years and have never used XXXX before. To add to this, XXXX weeks prior my Wells Fargo account was frauded and over {$300.00} in charges and was reviewed and reversed with Wells Fargo issuing a new debit card to me. Then after this incident my Wells Fargo credit card was frauded for {$300.00} yet again. On XX/XX/2022 Wells Fargo issued the following statement through my online messages on Wells Fargo 's online service. 

" Learn how to protect yourself in the New Year Protecting your personal financial information and money is important to you. It's a top priority for us too, and we want to make sure you have the tools and information you need to protect yourself and avoid a possible fraud or scam. 

What's happening A fraudster can contact you any time of the year by text message, phone, or email, and they may even impersonate a representative from Wells Fargo. They may ask for your personal financial information, access to your computer, or for a passcode. They may tell you that they've noticed suspicious activity, such as money being sent from your account to another account, and ask you to send money to yourself using XXXX to " reverse '' the payment. This particular scam is on the rise and is referred to as the " Pay Yourself '' scam. These are just some examples of how fraudsters will try to obtain your personal financial information or scam you, but you can take steps to protect yourself. 

What you can do Do not share your PIN, passcode, text message code, or any other access information to your accounts with anyone who requests it. 
Know that Wells Fargo will never ask you to send money to anyone, including yourself, to " reverse a transfer, '' " receive a refund, '' or anything similar. 
Don't rely on caller ID. Scammers can make calls and texts look like they're coming from Wells Fargo. 
If you feel uncomfortable or suspicious with any request you receive by phone, text, or email, hang up or don't respond. Reach out to us directly on our website or phone number, which you can easily find on the back of your debit or credit card or statement. 

We take our responsibility to protect your personal financial information seriously, and we are dedicated to providing you with updated information regarding ways to protect yourself from possible fraud and scams. Contact us if you have concerns about your Wells Fargo account or need to report fraud. 

Thank you for banking with Wells Fargo. 
XXXX and the XXXX related marks are wholly owned by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and are used herein under license. 

Enrollment with XXXX through Wells Fargo Online or Wells Fargo Business Online is required. Terms and conditions apply. U.S. checking or savings account required to use XXXX. Transactions between enrolled users typically occur in minutes. For your protection, XXXX should only be used for sending money to friends, family, or others you trust. Neither Wells Fargo nor XXXX offers a protection program for authorized payments made with XXXX. The Request feature within XXXX is only available through Wells Fargo using a smartphone. In order to send payment requests to a U.S. mobile number, the mobile number must already be enrolled with XXXX. To send or receive money with a small business, both parties must be enrolled with XXXX directly through their financial institution 's online or mobile banking experience. For more information, view the XXXX XXXX XXXX Addendum to the Wells Fargo Online Access Agreement. Your mobile carrier 's message and data rates may apply. '' Wells Fargo knew about this fraud and failed to notify customers in a timely manner resulting in my account being frauded. Wells Fargo is breaking the laws stated under The Electronic Fund Transfer Act by not refunding money for an unauthorized transaction as I was induced into making the transaction.

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