Consumer complaint received 2019-08-06
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX RECEIVED A PHONE CALL ON MY CELL PHONE FROM XXXX HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS EMPLOYEE OF XXXX CONSULATE. HE SAID HE GOT A LETTER AND A LADY FLEW FROM NEW YORK TO XXXX HER LUGGAGE HAD 5 PASSPORTS ASSICIATED WITH IT AND ONE WAS MINE. I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED HE THEN SWITCHED ME TO XXXX XXXX. AND GAVE ME THEIR WEBSITE HTTP : //XXXX. 

THEN HE SAID HE WAS SWITCHING ME TO THE OFFICE HANDLING THE CASE. I CHECKED WEBSITE IT WAS XXXX XXXX. AND NUMBER CALLING FROM ON MY CALLER ID WAS FROM XXXX XXXX. SO I BELIEVED IT WAS LEGITIMATE. HE TOLD ME MY PHONE DIDNT HAVE THE APP. AND SAID I HAVE TO GET ANOTHER PHONE THAT HAS APP ON IT. I SAID WHAT IS APP HE SAID WHAT I NEED TO SEND PICTURES BACK AND FORTH. SO I WENT TO XXXX XXXX AND GOT A PHONE THAT HAD APP ON IT. I TOLD HIM I GOT THE APP PHONE AND HE SENT ME FROM XXXX PHOTOS OF : 1 ) ACCOMPLICE & CRIME COMMITTED, 2 ) PICTURE OF WANTED/WARRANT FOR MY ARREST, 3 )  DOCUMENT TO FREEZE MY ACCOUNT. 

HE SAID I SOLD MY INFORMATION/IDENTITY TO THE MAN IN PICTURE ( 1 ). HE SAID I HELPED HIM OPEN BANK ACCOUNT IN XXXX AND XXXX TO HELP HIM LAUNDRY MONEY AND I WAS RECEIVING A COMMISSION FROM HIM FOR HELPING HIM LAUNDRY MONEY. HE SAID THE MONEY WAS DEPOSITED INTO MY BANK ACCOUNTS. I SAID NO. THATS NOT ENOUGH PROOF. HE SAID IF YOU DONT WANT TO COOPERATE WITH US WE WILL BE FORCED TO ARREST ME AND PUT ME IN XXXX JAIL. EITHER I WANT TO COOPERATE OR WE WILL FREEZE BANK ACCOUNT AND I WILL GO TO XXXX JAIL. IF I COOPERATE I WONT HAVE TO GO TO XXXX JAIL THEN HE SWITCHED ME TO INVESTIGATOR FOR THIS CASE IN XXXX. SO NOW I WAS COMMUNICAT-ING WITH HER AT XXXX. I RECEIVED A PICTURE WITH XXXX IN CORNOR WHERE TO WIRE MONEY TO XXXX XXXX   XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) WITH THE INFORMATION WHERE TO WIRE THE MONEY WITH ACCT #, AND RECEPIENTS INFORMATION. THEN I ASKED WHY I HAD TO SEND THE MONEY. SHE SAID HAVE TO PUT IT INTO ACCOUNT WHILE THEY INVESTIGATE THE CASE. IF I DIDNT WOULD HURT ME OR MY FAMILY AND SAID HAVE I NOTICED XXXX PEOPLE IN CARS AROUND ME. I TOLD HER NO. SHE SAID I WAS BEING WATCHED ALL THE TIME SO DONT GO TO POLICE OR TELL ANYONE THAT WE ARE WATCHING YOU AND WILL ARREST YOU OR HARM YOU.. 


SHE SENT ME THE WANTED PICTURE AGAIN AND INFO TO FREEZE MY ACCOUNT AGAIN. I SAID HOW DO I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. THEN SHE SENT ME A PICTURE OF HER ID AND SAID WORKING IN COURTS AND IS THE INVESTIGATOR ON THE CASE. I SAID HOW DO I KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING. SHE SENT ME INFO ON MONEY LAUNDRYING AND INFO TO FREEZE ACCOUNT AGAIN DATED XX/XX/XXXX. MANS NAME WAS MR. XXXX AND SENT A COPY OF XXXX IN FROZEN ACCOUNT. I ASKED WHY SHE SAID SO YOU DONT TAKE MONEY AND RUN AWAY LIKE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE DO. SHE TOLD ME WOULD HOLD THE MONEY AND IF CASE CHECKED OUT WOULD RETURN THE MONEY BUT I HAD TO DO IT ASAP. I WAS FEARED FOR MY LIFE AND EVERYTHING SHE SENT ME LOOK LEGITAMATE SO I BELIEVED IT. 

THEN I GOT CALL FROM INVESTIGATOR AGAIN AND SHE INSTRUCTED ME TO SEND ANOTHER XXXX FROM 2 DIFFERENT BANKS. FOR ME TO GO TO WELLS FARGO AND SEND XXXX AND XXXX XXXX AND SEND XXXX. SHE KEPT ME ON THE PHONE FOR EACH WIRE TRANSFER AT EACH BANK ONCE AGAIN TOLD ME TO TELL THEM OPENING RESTAURANT WITH PERSON IN XXXX XXXX IF THEY ASK. THEN SHE WANTED ME TO SEND PICTURES OF THE WIRE TRANSFER PAPERWORK AGAIN SO I DID AND THEN SHE SENT ME A RECEIPT FOR XXXX AND SAID MONEY BEING HELD AND WOULD BE RETURNED IF EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT. 

Around 10 days later on XX/XX/XXXX after I realized what had happened filled a police report and I called the banks and I went back to the Banks to asked them if they could reverse the transfer because I had been scammed. When I showed them the transfer papers they said well you said you were wiring the money to a friend to open a business, she said this means you lied. I told her I had to I was being threatened on the phone while I was transferring the money. She said the money has been sent already there is nothing we can do it is gone. I suggest you contact XXXX XXXX police Dept and let them know and gave me a sheet of paper with the information on it. 

Around XX/XX/XXXX a woman called me from the Wells Fargo bank and said the money had already been picked up by the recipients husband and it was gone. Now how can the recipients husband pick up money if his name isnt on the transfer. Dont they watch this kind of stuff. What is the sense of having a recipient. Or does it just go into their account and whoever is on the account can pick up the money. Seems like some sort of ID should be shown at the other end to accept this money and not have it just deposited into an account. How do you catch the fraud if anyone can pick up the money at the other end. 

XX/XX/XXXX WENT TO THE FBI AND TALKED TO XXXX XXXX AT FBI SAID TO STOP TEXTING HER. MR. XXXX SAID TO GO TO BANKS AND TRY TO HAVE THEM PUT HOLD/FREEZE ON XXXX XXXX XXXX ACCOUNT AND FUNDS. TOLD HIM XXXX CONSOLATE IN XXXX SAID WOULD SEND ME INFORMATION ON WHAT TO DO BUT NEVER SENT INFORMATION. HE SAID TO CALL AGAIN GET NAME OF WHO I TALK TO AND TELL THEM XXXX XXXX FROM FBI WILL BE CONTACTING THEM. TO MAKE SURE THAT I FILE A XXXX XXXX POLICE REPORT. I TOLD HIM THAT I TRIED 5 TIMES WOULDNT ACCEPT IT. HE SAID MAKE FILE SMALLER. 

XX/XX/XXXX WHEN I WENT HOME I MADE FILE SMALLER AND THE FILE FINALLY WENT THROUGH AND I WAS ABLE TO FILE A REPORT WITH THE XXXX XXXX POLICE DEPT. I CALLED XXXX CONSOLATE IN XXXX XXXX AGAIN AND TALKED TO MR. XXXX AND HE SAID TO SEND MY INFORMATION TO XXXX AND WHEN HE RECEIVED EMAIL THAT HE WILL SEND ME THE INFORMATION ON WHAT I NEED TO DO. I SEND XXXX XXXX AT FBI A COPY OF EMAIL WITH HIS NAME. THE CONSOLATE IN XXXX XXXX NEVER SENT ME INFORMTION I REQUESTED. 

THE WEEK OF XX/XX/XXXX A SOCIAL WORKER NAMED XXXX CAME TO TAKE ELDER ABUSE CASE INFORMATION BECAUSE XXXX XXXX TURNED THE WIRE TRANSFER CASE IN AS ELDER ABUSE. SHE WAS SURPRISED THAT THE OTHER 3 BANKS HADNT TURNED IN ELDER ABUSE CASES YET BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO REPORT ACCOUNT FRAUD OF ELDERLY PEOPLE AS ELDER ABUSE. BUT SHE PROBABLY WOULD GET THE OTHER 3 CASES SOON. ASKED IF SHOULD GO TO BANKS AND HAVE THEM FREEZE XXXX XXXX ACCOUNT LIKE XXXX XXXX AT FBI SAID. SHE SAID NO AND SHE DIDNT KNOW WHY HE WOULD TELL ME TO DO THAT. ABOUT HALF HOUR AFTER SHE LEFT SHE CALLED MY NEIGHBOR THAT IS HELPING ME WITH THE FRAUD CASE AND SHE TOLD HER THAT XXXX XXXX AND I WERE RIGHT THAT SHE DID SOME CHECKING AND THAT I HAVE TO GO TO BANKS AND HAVE THEM PUT HOLD OR DEBIT ( FREEZE ) ON XXXX XXXX XXXX ACCOUNT IF POSSIBLE. 

XX/XX/XXXX TALKED TO OFFICER XXXX XXXX SHERIFFS ASKED HIM ABOUT THE COPY OF CASE FILED WITH XXXX POLICE THAT I NEEDED IT FOR XXXX XXXX ASAP. HE SAID THEY ARE BACKED UP USUALLY 10-15 DAYS SHOULD HAVE REPORT. ANOTHER OFFICER WOULD PROBABLY BE FOLLOWING UP ON CASE AND HE SAID TO GIVE ALL OF THE BANKS A COPY OF POLICE REPORT NUMBER FOR XXXX AND XXXX XXXX AND THE LIST OF ALL OF THE PLACES THAT I HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS. 

XX/XX/XXXX I went into Wells Fargo because the FBI and the XXXX Sheriff told me to take all my paperwork and everyone I had reported the scam to, into the Banks and maybe something can be done. I talked to XXXX I think her name was at Wells Fargo on XXXX XXXX, told her that I wanted to know what was going on about a retraction on the wire transfer claim but I forgot my claim number. She called the wire transfer department. She got off the phone and said nothing can be done they picked up the money on the other end. I am sorry but the money is gone. I said if tellers know about the scams why dont they tell the people wiring the money about it. She said because when we question the wire transfers the customers get mad and yell at us and say just transfer the money. Did they ever think the people got mad because they were being threatened like I was. I dont think someone really wiring money to a friend or relative would get angry, they probably would thank the Teller for being concerned about that much money being wired. 

When I went home I picked up the mail and there was a letter from Wells Fargo stating they were working on the claim I put in and working with the other bank to try to get my money back and they would be back in touch with me and send me a letter letting me know if the money was put back into my account or let me know anything they found out about the case and that it could take anywhere from 60-120 days to investigate. 

Now which is it. The money is gone and nothing they can do or are they working with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to try to get my money back as the letter states? How can you go into the bank and they tell you the money is gone and nothing can be done. Then you get a letter saying they are investigating the claim the same day as the Teller I talked to was on the phone with the claim people and said they said there is nothing that can be done. Something does not sound right. Two complete different answers to the same claim.

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