Consumer complaint received 2023-11-28
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: ID
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I traveled outside the XXXX to XXXX for a month to obtain my XXXX XXXX I was out of the country for just shy of 30 days and upon returning discovered my Wells Fargo account, where I save my larger sums of money was hacked and three wires were made to a coinbase account without my approval. While traveling I noticed my phone wasn't working, I purchased an international SIM card and still had issues for the remainder of the month with my phone. Towards the end of the trip I replaced my original SIM card back into my phone and discovered my log ins weren't working for most of my accounts ; email, socials, banking, it was a mess. On XX/XX/XXXX I landed back in the states, to a phone that still wasn't working properly and did't stress it too much as I had a new one waiting for me. When I noticed my accounts were still funny I reset all my log ins and that's when I discovered three different wires were made on three different days in the following amounts {$1000.00}, {$100.00}, {$20000.00}. 

I called Wells Fargo fraud line, finally got a hold of someone after a week of different numbers and being placed on holds ect. I spoke to a XXXX XXXX, he walked me through my fraud situation and this is when I discovered from his knowledge what occurred. 
We believe my phone was hacked, prior to my international departure. I can't provide specific dates because XXXX closed down my online banking log in as well as shut down my business account. Here is the essential timeline of events .... 

XXXX. I paid for my bags on line and my card was declined. I received a text from wellsfargo asking if the purchase was made by me or not. I clicked yes hoping it would then go through. The same thing happened with another card I used to purchase my flight so I didn't think anything of it when I then received a phone call from Wells Fargo fraud line. A gentleman helped walk me through my account, he asked for my 6 digit pin code and said it should work now I could try again. I then asked him how I make sure my card doesn't do this again while traveling internationally, to which he replied " There is a button on your account app, you just mark it that you will be traveling out of the country. AS I am explaining this to XXXX the light bulb went off, that wasn't wells fargo fraud calling to walk me through how to pay for my bags, it was a hacker who just received access into my phone. 

XXXX. I noticed other things as well, strange numbers messaging me that my loan was approved, and to send my deposit information. My XXXX was getting weird follow request from random accounts, then was shut off. My facial recognition was not working at all, my phone all the sudden didn't recognize my face. 

XXXX. XXXX helped walk me through the whole case, an hour later and I was praying that it would get resolved. I am a single mom of 4 kids and I have worked so hard for this, how could it just be gone. My biggest complaint was a {$60.00} bag charge was flagged but 3 wires equalling to {$21000.00} wasn't.. no flag, no phone call, no notification at all.

Wells Fargo investigated for 5 days, they made their call and never contacted me. I called on the following Monday after the original complaint, and was told the funds weren't recoverable and not in wells Fargos hands to retrieve. That I inputed a code and the wires were made from my phone. I still can't wrap my mind around this.. from me being in school for XXXX hours a day, no phones, being with a phone that didn't work, 100 % focusing on class testing ect how I lost what I did. I feel violated, and stolen from at the worst time of the year. I asked for a supervisor or someone higher than who was helping me to call and I haven't received a call or a letter explaining anything its now been 14 days and just a verbal denial. 

I have a new phone and number, no business checking account, I live in a rural area and am told I have to do a business account in person and not over the phone. I can't even fathom the amount of money that was stolen from me. I don't understand how this wasn't stopped, flagged, and why I wasn't notified. Please help me retrieve this money... it's all I have left... I am at my last hope. 

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