Consumer complaint received 2019-12-23
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Cashing a check

Complaint:
Explanation of complaint : I, XXXX XXXX, walked into a Wells Fargo Bank on XX/XX/2018, located on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, WA XXXX with a check in the amount of $ XXXX. This check was given to me by a ex friend XXXX XXXX, whom owed me . Moving forward I had no idea until I reached the bank that I was being defrauded by ex friend XXXX XXXX. Originally spoke to a teller by the name of XXXX, whom informed me that the check numbers on the bottom of the check were inaccurate, as well as the check had been written off of a closed out account. I did present a valid WA state driver license & was honest about how I came into possession of the monetary instrument with the teller XXXX. Before this situation I did not know that this was an invalid check that had been presented to me by ex friend XXXX XXXX. Furthermore, the Bank Manager immediately contacted the authorities even after I was made aware by the Bank Teller XXXX that the check was not a legitimate monetary instrument. I was immediately treated as a criminal as the bank Wells Fargo was setting me up to be arrested by the XXXX County Police Officer XXXX. As I was on the phone trying to get ahold of ex friend XXXX XXXX, they set me up same as my ex friend XXXX XXXX by leading into a trap & sending me to another teller by the name of XXXX, whom later during trial tried to admit that I really did not do anything wrong. As well as admitted to my Attorney that I actually did nothing wrong as well as the other tellers that were there that day admitted the same thing to my Attorney. So when I was transferred to XXXX. Why did Wells Fargo in XXXX, WA use XXXX to hold me to be entrapped in a legal situation such as I am involved in now? Why did XXXX say to me falsely that we got your situation handled & we are going to cash your check? Yet the check still had not been endorsed by me. Why did the bank use entrapment in order to make me believe that a bad check had been validated all of a sudden & use XXXX to keep me there as a stall tactic. So that I can be unlawfully arrested by Officer XXXX. The bank described me as a dark skinned XXXX or XXXX XXXX male that was trying to cash a check. I am feeling that if I had been not a male of XXXX that walked into a Wells Fargo located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, WA XXXX with a unbeknownst to me a stolen monetary instrument. That I would have been treated completely different as I had been truly set up by my ex friend XXXX XXXX, Wells Fargo Bank , & XXXX County Police Department. They merely judged me as least the Branch Manager did by what they felt I was in reference to race. I feel that if I had not been a male of XXXX then the Wells Fargo bank would have been more understanding with me & treated the situation as it truly was me being defrauded. Yet in this situation I was treated as it was supposed to be treated me being set up. Moving forward now that this happened with me whenever I go to my own bank XXXX. The tellers are rude & suspect that I am trying to defraud them in some type of way. Based on a crime that was truly committed against 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