Consumer complaint received 2019-12-05
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: TX
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Lost or stolen check

Complaint:
Please note that I provide consent for the CFPB to publish this description, with the request that the CFPB remove or blank out my personal information ( name ), the name of XXXX XXXX XXXX, and the name of the XXXX XXXX XXXX person XXXX XXXX. 
I. This complaint is against Wells Fargo Bank, for having allowed two checks totaling {$10000.00} with invalid endorsement to be cashed. 
Wells Fargo Bank KNEW that the checks were cashed by a person who did not have the authority to cash the check, as they contacted me and informed me of the event and advised me to contact my XXXX XXXX immediately. I am the person was injured as a consequence of XXXX XXXX allowing the check to be cashed. 
Wells Fargo has done NOTHING and non-responsive despite multiple attempts by my XXXX XXXX and myself to contact them to resolve the matter. 
II. Here is a summary of the sequence of events : 1 ) I used XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank to send out two cashier checks, each for {$5000.00}, on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX respectively, payable to Hope Today c/o XXXX XXXX, at the address XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX. 
2 ) XXXX XXXX XXXX is a fundraiser for XXXX XXXX, a charity that helps the poor in countries such as XXXX. The checks were indicated to be for " XXXX XXXX '' that XXXX XXXX organizes annually to care for leper colonies in XXXX. 
3 ) On Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX, I got a voicemail from Wells Fargo Representative XXXX XXXX of the Loss Prevention Department, asking me to call her back at XXXX, asking me to call her back regarding the checks I wrote for XXXX XXXX. 
4 ) I called Wells Fargo Representative XXXX back within two hours. She asked me about the two checks of {$5000.00} each, and whether I knew a XXXX XXXX. I knew she was talking about the checks I wrote to XXXX XXXX. I conferenced in XXXX XXXX XXXX, who told XXXX and I that she was waiting for my donation checks. She did not get any mail for a few days, and she suspected her mail was stolen. 
5 ) XXXX informed both XXXX XXXX and I that the checks were cashed by a XXXX XXXX. I do not know any XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX does not know XXXX XXXX either. We both told XXXX that the checks must have been stolen from XXXX XXXX 's mailbox and cashed / indorsed without authorization. XXXX told me to call my bank XXXX XXXX XXXX as soon as possible to report the matter. 
6 ) XXXX XXXX XXXX immediately called the Police and reported the theft of the checks from her mailbox. 
7 ) XXXX XXXX also contacted XXXX for assistance to the Police as where the checks were cashed and when, so they could ask for a video tape to see if they can apprehend this XXXX XXXX. XXXX advised XXXX XXXX that the information could not be provided to her without a formal complaint against Wells Fargo, and that they had to respect the privacy of their customer, i.e., the individual who stole the checks and unlawfully cashed them. 
8 ) I also immediately called XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX and reported the matter to XXXX XXXX. 

9 ) While I was on the phone with XXXX XXXX XXXX, Wells Fargo XXXX called me and advised that XXXX XXXX XXXX MUST send a claim, i.e., letter of Indemnification to Wells Fargo at email address XXXX. 
10 ) On Friday XX/XX/XXXX, I called Wells Fargo XXXX to inquire about the status of the case ( s ) as what claim form or letter of indemnification to be required of XXXX XXXX XXXX, and whether I could submit them. She told me that she could not provide her full name, nor any additional information as what " claim form '' or " letter of indemnification '' that XXXX must use to claim the money back. 
11 ) On XX/XX/2019, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX issued the Letter of Indemnification form via email address XXXX as previously provided by XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

12 ) On XX/XX/2019, the Wells Fargo XXXX XXXX contacted requested XXXX XXXX XXXX, and asked that XXXX XXXX XXXX resend the document to XXXX XXXX XXXX at email XXXX as they claimed the document was not received. 

13 ) On XX/XX/2019, I wrote to both email addresses XXXX and XXXX in inquire as whether Wells Fargo has received the resent ( TWICE ) Letter of Indemnification from XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

14 ) On the same date XX/XX/2019, I got an email back from a XXXX XXXX XXXX, advising that Please have your bank reach out to us directly regarding your request. We are unable to discuss claims with anyone other than the other bank. 

15 ) On or about XX/XX/2019, I was contacted by XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX, advising me that in following up with Wells Fargo, they again claimed NOT to have received the twice sent Letter of Indemnification from XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX tried to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX multiple times to ask for a fax number to send the Letter of Indemnification again, and did not get any response. 
III. Wells Fargo is either inefficient, incompetent, purposely stalling to cover up its negligence in allowing the checks with invalid endorsement to be cashed.

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