Consumer complaint received 2022-04-29
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: GA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2019 I came to the Wells Fargo in XXXX XXXX in XXXX GA to initiate wire transfer for a real state transaction. The manager at the time did all the process, but she never asked me to confirm the wire information, neither she call the XXXXXXXX XXXX ( recipient bank ) to verify. She went to a second office where she came from with the paper for me to sign and the wire initialization page. 

I left the bank around XXXX that morning and two hours later the real state attorney called to ask for the wire because they didnt receive it. When I went back yo read the bank account to the lawyer immediately she knew I was being a victim of wire Fraud.

I called the Wells Fargo and asked to immediately recalled the wire ; the same lady, the manager of the branch said she called XXXX and she was informed the funds did came across to XXXX  but there was a name discrepancy and the funds were not going to be released. 

I waited the entire XXXX holiday ; i was in XXXX the next Monday and from there I called every possible department in well Fargo to make sure the money was safe and secured, because the money departed my account not on the day I initiated the wire but TWO days later, when supposedly the branchs manager had already placed an stop to the transfer. 

Only until Wednesday of that week I received a form from Wells Fargo to authorize the swift recalled. I continued waiting, The person at the wire department in Wells Fargo mentioned in 7-10 days the money shouldve being returned to my account. 

I kept in contact with the manager of the local Wells Fargo and she reassured me that the money was safe, she said one of the customer services reps. In the local XXXX  was able to log in and see that the account had two flags 1. Fraud 2. Name discrepancy. So the money was on hold and shouldve being redirected to Wells Fargo. 

XX/XX/XXXX the money departed and paid to the fraudster and the account was closed and I lost all the money. 

On mid XXXX I had to wire other funds for the same real state company, at that time I came to the same branch but another person whose last name is XXXX he followed a very strict protocol ; he asked me to call in front of him the recipient to verify the account information before he could initiated the wire transfer. I asked if this was a new procedure ; he said no, this is the normal protocol, but we had few incidents already and we have to be more strict than before, Mr XXXX didnt know I was one of the victims from those wire incidents, also the same day I came to know that supervisors from the safety department where at the branch meeting with the manager regarding wire procedures. So that specific day everything was done in the most efficient way, not at the when I sent the first wire. 

I had being after the XXXXXXXX XXXX  and Wells Fargo since the date of the incident trying to recover the money ; when I should only blame Wells Fargo for the negligence of the branchs manager that is what caused my lost. 

I bank now with XXXX for big transaction after this incident with WF, and I had sent already few wire transfers from XXXX to even XXXX and there is no time I dont received a follow up call before the wires I sent. The XXXXXXXX XXXX doesnt use office branches, all transactions are done virtually and still, I get a call for verification, twice the bank has being able to recall two wires that they dont feel comfortable to released and the funds are redirected to me. 

The Wells Fargo failed to protect me as a customer and let my money to be stolen, while there is an insurance for my account that the XXXX confirmed each account in USA has ; and still with that the bank never returned the entire amount. 

I demand the Wells Fargo to reimbursed the money the bank argues that could not retrieved because the negligence of your staff is what created my lost. 

Thank you

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