Consumer complaint received 2020-08-13
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AZ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
Dispute is towards Wells Fargo over a fraudulent wire transfer of {$5000.00} ... XX/XX/XXXX - I received an automated phone call from XXXX saying XXXX is detecting multiple attempts to hack into your XXXX. The man said he was an XXXX employee in the Anti-Hacking department. He had me go to http : XXXX and ran a scan on my computer that showed 13 people trying to hack in. He said we had to test XXXX security measures to make sure the hackers couldnt make any purchases. In the meantime, he had gone into my email without me seeing and set it to forward to his address so I wouldnt see any incoming emails. He then made several purchases with my credit card and XXXX XXXX, along with money transfers out of Wells Fargo with me realizing it because my emails were being transferred to his account. He also had me install the XXXX XXXX XXXX so that he could check the security on my phone. He was not able to make any purchases from my phone. When I figured out what was happening I hung up the phone, manually shut down my computer, uninstalled the app on my phone and proceeded to dispute all the charges/transfers. I text my husband and he shut down my CC and called Wells Fargo at around XXXX to alert them of fraudulent activity and shut down our accounts but the representative told him " your wife has to call us to do that ''. By the time I was able to get a hold of anyone at WF the wire transfer had gone through at XXXX. My husband called before the transfer happened and nothing was done. I changed all my passwords and called and filed a claim with WF that afternoon. My husband got home that afternoon and called WF to make sure a claim was in process and the guy told him that a claim had not been filed yet and that he could not file a claim over the phone if the amount was {$5000.00} or more so my husband went into the branch and made an appointment for the next day ( XX/XX/XXXX ). I called WF again to make sure my claim had been processed but she said the claim number I was given did not exist and sounded fraudulent. So I was finally able to file a claim at this point ( around XXXX ) and given a legitimate claim number. We honored the appointment at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX with WF and closed our compromised accounts. Meanwhile, we got as much info on the transaction details as we could ( receiving bank and address, account name and address, scammers IP address, etc ) and filed a complaint with IC3/FBI on XX/XX/XXXX and with the FTC on XX/XX/XXXX. Everytime we called WF to check the status of the claim they told us that the receiving bank has not responded to them yet. Finally, we called WF twice on XX/XX/XXXX to check on the status and they told us the same thing ... no news, the bank still hasn't responded, case still open. On XX/XX/XXXX we received a letter in the mail from WF saying that we authorized the wire transfer and they will not reimburse us. The letter is dated XX/XX/XXXX! The whole time we were calling getting the run-around, this case had been closed. So, that evening on XX/XX/XXXX I called WF and filed a complaint with customer advocacy ( CA ). I hadn't received a call from CA yet so I called and talked to XXXX XXXX, Case Manager, XXXX. He later called me back and said that the wire transfer was authorized by us and they won't return our money. I did not authorize the transfer! My husband received a vm from XXXX, XXXX, at check fraud on XXXX saying the receiving bank ( XXXX in XXXX, DE ) responded 3 days prior ( XXXX ) saying they will not return the money, therefore the case was closed. They returned our money from the XXXX and XXXX fraud because WF determined it was not authorized by us but they wont return the {$5000.00} wire transfer ( {$30.00} transfer fee ). We received a letter from XXXX XXXX saying a new case ( XXXX ) was open under XXXX XXXX but we can't get a hold of anyone who can give us information on the new case. We've spent hours on the phone. We also filed a complaint with OCC XXXX on XX/XX/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