Consumer complaint received 2023-10-27
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: GA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I received notification via text from my bank, Wells Fargo, that my banking account had " unusual activity '' and had been overdrafted, when I went to the app on my phone to check ( I did not click on any links in the text message ) I saw that two EXTREMELY large-sum transactions had been posted to my checking account. One was already approved by Wells Fargo despite the fact that I did not have the funds in my account to cover the amount of the transaction in the sum of {$1700.00}, and a second attempt a few minutes after ( the sum which triggered a notification from Wells Fargo ) in the amount of {$1400.00} from a business I've never done any business with, a company called Gametime Tickets. I immediately turned off my card via the Wells Fargo application and called Wells Fargo to report the fraud the moment I got their text message and saw the transactions. They started an investigation but it was a holiday weekend and it was late Friday afternoon and I was told that I would have to wait up to 10 business days for my money to be returned to me! I am a 100 % totally and permanently XXXX veteran with XXXX I told the woman ( XXXX XXXX? ) on the phone, I also asked what am I supposed to do? I can not use my card because you've XXXX it and now I have a $ XXXX negative balance in my account. She said she understood that I was upset but that was just how it is ( not in those exact words )... I told the woman, I don't even know what XX/XX/XXXX in XXXX XXXX ( I live in XX/XX/XXXX ) is and I have never done any business with this company. She didn't care except to say it would be investigated, I asked for a claim number as she was trying to conclude the conversation without providing me with that information. I also asked her if it would be possible to call this Gametime with her on the line so that we could figure out what is going on here and she stated she would not be allowed to be on the line ( I do not know how that is Wells Fargo 's policy, I've had similar fraudulent purchases made in the past several years ago through XXXX and I was able to get a customer service rep on the phone from Wells Fargo AND XXXX at the same time ). 

Now, that is to the best of my recollection how that conversation concluded, obviously there is a recording of our conversation that is evidence. After that conversation concluded I texted my wife to tell her all about it. I did call XX/XX/XXXX, the XXXX woman on the phone interestingly asked if I had an account, I told her I definitely did not ( I'm sure this conversation was recorded as well ). WHILE I was talking to her she asked me for certain information and WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HER I got an email saying " congratulations, you're in '' in the headline... SHE MADE AN ACCOUNT FOR XX/XX/XXXX FOR ME WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE!!! She asked if anyone else had access to my card or had my permission to use it I said, " No, no one '' ... She said she would ask a manager or supervisor ( something of that nature ) and then after some time came back and said, " it looks like it was a legitimate transaction '' OF COURSE THEY ABSOLVED THEMSELVES OF RESPONSIBILITY!!! It is an identity theft situation, of course the information that was used to by this fraudster/criminal matched my information! It is presently being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) and the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Department, which is the county in which I reside. I didn't know that I could or needed to file a police report at that time, in XXXX, and believed it was in the hands of my bank which I naively believed I could trust and there was no further action required. 

On either Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week they [ Wells Fargo ] did put what they called a " temporary '' credit into my account until they could conclude their investigation. I received no other correspondence from Wells Fargo asking for more information etc. from me except to tell me periodically that they were " still conducting the investigation '' ... NOW, today XX/XX/XXXX I have just received a letter stating that they have " concluded their investigation '' and they state that " Based on information you provided and additional information from the merchant, we found the charges were made by you or someone who had your permission '' ... I provided no information nor did they ask for any from me, nor supportive evidence for my claim during their investigation for nearly 2 months. They were, however, as of my conversation with a woman XXXX XXXX at XXXXXX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX ) in the fraud dept at Wells Fargo able to provide me with the IP address of the device on which the criminal, fraudulent purchases were made ( I can provide ) which is not my IP address nor from my ISP. It was a XXXX business customer and purchased through what appears to be a XXXX Wireless device... The mailing address to which the tickets were delivered, which appears, via a XXXX maps search, to be the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The person who made these fraudulent transactions purchased initially ( for the sum of {$1700.00} ) 4 seats for an XXXX XXXX and XXXX football game for XX/XX/XXXX... I actually received an email with that information in it which I just saw today at the prompting of XXXX from Wells Fargo to look into my XXXX. I am hoping that you all would be able to pursue this to the point that y'all would be able to find this individual or individuals by obtaining their whereabouts via their IP address and mailing address as well as obtain the security camera footage from XX/XX/XXXX from the football game when those individuals picked up the tickets or went through the entrance at the stadium in XXXX XXXX Please help, as I have stated I am a 100 % totally and permanently XXXX veteran with chronic XXXX and the letter from Wells Fargo states that on XX/XX/XXXX they are going to reverse/remove the credit of {$1700.00} which should have never been taken out of my account to begin with. 

As a 100 % totally and permanently XXXXXX/XX/XXXXveteran of the United States XXXX XXXX who served in XXXX and joined the XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, I have severe, chronic XXXX related to my service, that XXXX precludes any desire and or the attendance to any such events. I am nearly completely homebound. I really do not want to have to take this to litigation and contact the media to make a headline in order to resolve an issue that should have been properly handled in less than a business day considering they have access to all of my purchasing history, who I do business/transact with, where I go when purchasing and my whereabouts each time I sign into my Wells Fargo app or online on my desktop computer. For nearly 20 years I had this checking account and never have I ever made any purchases for sporting events or sporting tickets. THEY KNOW THIS! Nothing about this adds up with my account 's history. They have severely mishandled an identity theft situation which is a Class C felony carrying a sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine up to {$250000.00}, the ends which I am pursuing with federal and local law enforcement for the person or persons that engaged in this fraudulent activity. Wells Fargo has placed me in a situation where I am going to have to forgo my weeks counseling services, be unable to afford my prescriptions which I NEED, and be unable to pay bills. 

" Wells Fargo Defrauding XXXX Veterans to hedge their losses because of their own inability to protect their customer 's assets and liquid assets from criminals despite knowingly facilitating and protecting felonious activity ... '' I have also written an email to XXXX XXXX to escalate the resolution and so far to no avail.

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