Consumer complaint received 2022-01-08
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: NC
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I was called twice the evening of XX/XX/XXXX from what appeared to be a Wells Fargo number ( XXXX ). I picked up on the second call and the person said they were a Wells Fargo customer service representative ( he said his name was XXXX XXXX and that someone had accessed my Wells Fargo debit card and made a purchase. He asked me to confirm my name and my account number. I checked my account and saw that a purchase of {$0.00} had been made ( the merchant name XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX merchant address : XXXX XXXX, PA, XXXX, category : government services not elsewhere classified ). He then said they had tried to make 3 additional transactions, but that I needed to XXXX myself in order to get those transactions back ( because they were pending ). They had me add myself as a XXXX XXXXecipient, and tell them the confirmation code I received from Wells Fargo when I added my phone number. I completed the first transaction ( the first was for {$1000.00} ). After this, I looked up the number they were calling from to make sure it was from Wells Fargo and it was so I completed the second transaction which was for {$700.00}. They told me I needed to complete all 3 ( the third was for {$2600.00} ) in order to have the money come out of holding from XXXX. That is when I began to grow suspicious. I looked up XXXX XXXX and saw that scammers could mask their phone calls to look like it was coming from a bank. At this point I had my sister record the rest of the phone call. I asked again when I would be getting my money back and he kept saying I needed to complete the third transaction ( he got very agitated ). He finally gave up his pretense ( he said XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and hung up. 
My sister called Wells Fargo customer service for me and I reported the scam. I filed official claims for the {$0.00} transaction, the {$1000.00} XXXX, and the {$700.00} XXXX The person I spoke with told me they were unable to stop or reverse the funds. I was told that they would follow up with me over the phone in XXXX business days, but I never received a call. 

After getting off the phone with Wells Fargo customer service, I filed a police report with XXXX XXXX Police Department ( XX/XX/XXXX ). An XXXX in the financial crimes unit followed up with me on XX/XX/XXXX saying that XXXX would not be able to recover my funds and suggested report it to XXXX and to follow up with my bank. They also suggested I report this to the FTC and the IC3 and to send any additional info I had. I told the officer that I already reported it to Wells Fargo and I sent them screenshots of the {$0.00} transaction and a scam text message I received on XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX Fraud saying that they decline a {$2600.00} transaction on a card ending in a number I was unfamiliar with. 

I received an email on XX/XX/XXXX from Wells Fargo saying that their investigation was completed. I received 3 letters in the mail on XX/XX/XXXX from Wells Fargo. They reiterated that they were unable to stop/reverse the funds and that they determined that the payments were processed as requested. They also indicated that they contacted the receiving institution and XXXX to see if either of them would be able to do anything about the scam. 

I called Wells Fargo to follow up about the letters and they told me that Wells Fargo would not be able to return my funds and reiterated that they contacted the receiving institution and XXXX. I told them again that I was under the impression that I was sending the payment to myself, but they still said that I authorized payment ( to the unknown person ). They told me that they would follow up in the mail about the receiving institution and XXXX. I decided to report this here because Ive read that XXXX and most banks tend to try not to claim fault ( even if the scammer impersonated the victims bank and asked for personal information ).

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