Consumer complaint received 2021-06-12
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: FL
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
This is an addendum to CFPB complaint # XXXX, dated XX/XX/XXXX, and CFPB complaint # XXXX, dated XX/XX/XXXX. 

I would like to add onto the two complaints as I keep getting letters forwarded from Wells Fargo that appear to be attempts to turn their lack of action on the fraudulent claims on my sister 's accounts into an excuse to deny proper claims payments and possibly do more unauthorized credit transfers. For example, I received the two attached letters on XX/XX/XXXX. One demands my sister call " within 10 calendar days from the date of this letter, '' as they have been " unable to reach you ''. This is totally false as I've been talking to various Wells Fargo reps for months now, as POA for my sister ( and even before then ), about the fraudulent charges on her XXXX/debit accounts. The letter was dated XX/XX/XXXX, with the demand to call within 10 calendar days, which would make the cut off date XX/XX/XXXX. The letter was postmarked after the cut off date, XX/XX/XXXX, and I received the forwarded mail on XX/XX/XXXX. They know my correct mailing address and manage to send her XXXX bill directly to me but somehow can not send these " time sensitive '' letters properly. 

The XX/XX/XXXX letter threatened to reverse the inadequate provisional credit of {XXXX that has so far been put into her account if she did not respond by XX/XX/XXXX. The letter was postmarked XX/XX/XXXX and I received the forwarded mail on XX/XX/XXXX. I think they're playing perverse and ugly games with my sister 's finances. And by the way, I did call them again for the umpteenth zillion time the day I received the letters and it ended up where it always does -- much time spent on the phone, nothing at all accomplished or settled. They think they'll wear me down and I'll give up, but I won't. I'll keep documenting these revolting elder and financial abuses. 

As of XX/XX/XXXX I received a credit card statement for a new credit card ending in ... XXXX. It was actually sent to the correct address! Wells Fargo has opened a new credit card effective XX/XX/XXXX, replacing the old credit card ending in ... XXXX. I specifically advised Wells Fargo I did not want a new credit card authorized and we have not authenticated the new card. I told them I wanted to gain visibility into her old credit card and verify charges in order to set up a payment schedule. The current XXXX statement shows the XXXX} cash advance reversals as well as {$1400.00} in additional credit adjustments to her XXXX. These credits and adjustments to the new credit card, as well as an immediate demand for payment of {XXXX}, further penalize my sister 's ability to pay from a checking account that had {XXXX from the sale of her car removed without our approval. I know banks have fraud insurance and so far it doesn't appear that insurance has covered any of my sister 's losses. Wells Fargo should have seen the ongoing fraud with her accounts -- monthly payments to computer repair companies and car warranty companies ( {XXXX} in the most recent month for car warranties for a six year old car ), gift card scams, and many others. We certainly complained about it several times at the XXXX branch before she went to assisted living. Why was Wells Fargo not alerting their customer of this? My company alerts me about suspicious transactions that are much more benign than this XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Is Wells Fargo profiting off the financial fraud being perpetrated -- added fees, late payments, interest, etc. -- as well as fraud insurance claims? My sister seems to be paying for this fraud all on her own with little recompense from Wells Fargo or their insurance company. Something doesn't smell right. 


To recap : I have POA over XXXX XXXX XXXX accounts but have been denied visibility into her XXXX accounts where much of the fraud emanates, along with credit card cash transfers into her checking account and then debit transfers to criminals. 

The claims I am aware of today : WF Claim # XXXX, links to CFPB ID # XXXX WF Claim # XXXX, links to CFPB ID # XXXX XXXX -- no idea what this is ( dated XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX -- no idea what this is XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX Case No. XXXX, used for an unauthorized transfer reversal of {XXXX} XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX. We were not notified nor aware of this transaction until we saw it on her bank account transactions. There is no record of the claim in my sister 's files or my files. I disputed the {XXXX} cash advance in phone calls and writing ( letters attached dated XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX ). Their claim that I disputed another {XXXX} cash advance sometime in the prior year is false. I've told them that many times by phone. 
WF XXXX # XXXX, {XXXX} temp credit. on claim ( which included, among others, another XXXX XXXX XXXX transaction of {XXXX} ) -- letter dated XX/XX/XXXX ( see above ) threatens to reverse the credit if the impossible doesn't happen -- no response by XX/XX/XXXX WF Claim # XXXX, XXXX} final credit ( all CXXXX XXXX XXXX transactions ) I continue to have no visibility into the XXXX " claim ( s ) '' whatsoever. Their customer service continues to stonewall, with various means, my attempts to get information. A forwarded letter to my sister, dated XX/XX/XXXX, from Wells Fargo references an inquiry into her XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX, case # XXXX. I also have an email from Wells Fargo dated XX/XX/XXXX, case # XXXX, referencing another inquiry into her XXXX. I have not seen these inquiries, I don't know what they are and my sister didn't make them. 

My sister expressed her wishes to Wells Fargo that I needed to have access to her XXXX account in order to monitor it. They have been ignored, as well as the legal power of attorney documents signed XX/XX/XXXX. 

I don't know of any other way to add onto the prior claims except by doing another one and referencing the prior claims. I'm sorry for any inconvenience. I'm concerned about Wells Fargo 's actions ( and non-actions ) and their blizzard of forwarded mailings that seem to be attempting to build a case to steal more money from my sister 's accounts. I'm alerting you to the fact that she is overdue a direct deposit tax refund and I don't want that to disappear like the {XXXX did. She can not afford that. 

Thank you for any help you can provide. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

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