Consumer complaint received 2023-07-09
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: TX
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I sent a girl in XXXX XXXX so she could get her XXXX  and airfare to come here ... .I sent it by XXXX XXXX..about 3 wks later, I was contacted by XXXX XXXX and he told me that he was with the XXXX Department and I had sent money to XXXX and that the Government in XXXX had assessed a fine of XXXX and if I did not pay this immediately, that I would be XXXX ... I told them that I did not have the money and he asked about my credit cards and I told him that they were pretty much maxed out ... .he told me that they would pay off my credit cards, but I was to send them cash advances and gift cards as soon as possible to avoid XXXX... so they paid off the credit cards and then I got gift cards and cash advances to pay off the fine ... .3 or 4 wks later, the check they used to pay off the credit cards bounced and now I have my original balance as well as the new balance created by the gift card purchases... I also sent them 8 new cell phones as payment of the fine... I never heard from them again ... and then XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX contacted me and they said that they were from the XXXX XXXX XXXX and they would help me in recovering funds taken by XXXX XXXX ... .I sent them all of the gift cards and receipts that I got and they supposedly started to work on my case... I had to join XXXX XXXX for them to work on my case... .After a few months I sold some of my real estate and I was told that XXXX required 50 % of the proceeds from the sale of the property for verification... so I sent them XXXX by wire transfer from my bank and then when I sold my house, I sent them XXXX by wire transfer from my bank and I was told that the funds would be returned to me immediately after they were verified ... I never received a penny from them ... .and now when I try to get my money they say there are fees involved ... so I paid them XXXX and then they say that I need to pay XXXX for the IRS... I paid them, and then they say that I need to pay XXXX because that is what my state requires for them to send me back my XXXX... and now they want another XXXX because of something else... .I don't have any more money left and I have sold all of my property and don't have any money left ... I am living with my daughter now because I don't have any where else to go... I had about XXXX worth of real estate and I was going to retire on this ... .I am XXXX yrs old and now after they have gotten ahold of me I have no property and no money... I also got involved with a girl from XXXX and she told me about the XXXX business ... so I sent XXXX to XXXX XXXX which is the trading platform and we got started ... In total I have sent XXXX XXXX  XXXXand according to their platform screen, I have XXXX XXXX in the account... .this is from successful trades over the last XXXX  months ... .they had a program where you would put XXXX in the account and would be given XXXX added to your account... .I had 30 days to make this deposit and my house closing was delayed and I got an extension on the deadline... and then I had to get another extension ... .now they say that the delays were malicious and I have to deposit another XXXX and then my funds would be available for withdrawal ... .I completed this and now they say that they suspected XXXX XXXX and I would have to deposit another XXXX before I could withdraw ... .I don't have it and they won't let me withdraw ... .I don't know where to turn because I have no money left and no property to sell... please help me...

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