Consumer complaint received 2021-04-29
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AL
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
From my checking and savings account, I sent a wire transfer to a bank in XXXX ( where I live ) to pay for my rent XXXX of 2020. The transfer was flagged, so Wells Fargo kept the money at the branch. Even though they claimed to investigate the transaction issue and said that I should get the money within the next month, they did not return to money back to my account. 

In the correspondence letter from Wells Fargo Representative, it states that the wire transfer was recalled " as per my request. '' This is wholly inaccurate. Please take close note of the following language sent by the Wells Fargo representative : Whenever payments are made through or to Wells Fargo, the payments may go through a sanctions screening process of the wire transfer instructions. The wire transfer in question was held by the Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) pending the verification of the full name, full address, and date of birth for the wire recipient. In order for the wire to be processed, the needed information had to be provided and a failure to do so would result in the funds to be blocked or seized. 

Now, given this information, nowhere does it state that the funds would be returned to my account if the wire did not go through. And, for the record, NOT ONCE has Wells Fargo indicated to me verbally or in writing that the wire transfer was ever made. 

Despite numerous attempts to merely locate where the money was, in XX/XX/2020 Wells Fargo notified me that I would need to pay an additional fee to receive the wired money back into my account. However, when I called Wells Fargo services in XXXX, I was informed that the money was still being held at the branch, and had NOT been wired. 

I have never received confirmation nor documentation nor notification that the wire transfer was sent to the intended recipient. I did not request that the wire be retracted, I requested that my money not be blocked or seized by Wells Fargo or the OFAC. 

If the money was sent to the correct recipient, that would be acceptable. However, given the nature of this situation, it is reasonable that I ask for confirmation and documentation that this has occurred. 

Further, there are conflicting statements being made by the Wells Fargo Representatives : 1 ) The Wells Fargo representative clearly states that the funds will be blocked or seized if the adequate documentation for the recipient is not received. However, it is clear that it was not received. 

2 ) The Wells Fargo representative states that a recall request was made on XX/XX/2020. However, I paid for a wire recall in XXXX, 2020, a full 8 months later. 

3 ) The Wells representative states that unsuccessful attempts were made by the branch to contact me to gather information. This is false, the branch did reach me numerous times in XXXX when I first learned that the wire had been blocked, and they were told that they would continue to work on resolving the issue on their end. I also have documentation that I called the branch on numerous occasions and corresponded regularly with XXXX XXXX from the branch during that period of time which is well documented. 

4 ) The Wells Fargo representative states that the case was closed on XX/XX/2020, and that the wire had been issued to the beneficiary bank. However, I received a call from the branch in XXXX saying that they were still diligently trying to work on the case, but that the OFAC was still withholding the funds. 

5 ) Allow me to reiterate, there hasn't been a shred of evidence supplied by the Wells Fargo representative that the funds were ever cleared by the OFAC, and by his own admission, they did not have the proper information to do so as stated in the second paragraph of his response regarding this issue. 

6 ) Wells Fargo called me in XXXX of 2020, telling me that there was a way that I could get my money back, but would need to credit my account to cover the cost. It was not indicated that this was a recall from the beneficiary 's bank, or that Wells Fargo had successfully made the transfer. If this had been indicated to me, I would have indicated that it was not necessary as I still live in the house of the deceased beneficiary, and would have simply paid an additional month of rent. Which would be fine. 

7 ) All other attempts to allegedly recall the funds that this Wells Fargo representative claims were not " per my request '' as this was done neither in writing nor payment. The only time I paid a fee to have my money returned to me was in XXXX, which is documented, and at no juncture was it ever indicated that this was to recall a successful wire transfer. 

I believe that the Wells Fargo representative should be required to show documentation that the wire transfer was successful. If the representative can show documentation that the wire transfer was successfully made to the intended account in XXXX on the dates that were described, I will consider this case completely closed. If not, another representative of XXXX XXXX XXXX will surely file another claim. 

Please do NOT close this case until this matter is resolved satisfactorily, and that Wells Fargo representatives have provided documentation for their claims, as I have. 


Wire transfer total : XXXX USD Wire transfer fee : XXXX USD ( REIMBURSED ) Additional fee to have the money returned : XXXX USD

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