Consumer complaint received 2024-10-04
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (IN)

I am filing this complaint to address the mishandling of my fraud claim and the unjust denial of my request for a refund by Wells Fargo Bank despite being the victim of an IRS imposter scam. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from an individual identifying himself as " XXXX  XXXX XXXX, '' allegedly an agent of the XXXX XXXX Police Department acting on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ). This person claimed that I had been charged with felony counts related to unpaid taxes and was under threat of immediate arrest. He had access to sensitive personal information, including my name, address, phone number, email address, and Social Security number, and used this information to substantiate his false identity and intimidate me. 

I was told I could avoid arrest by paying {$3400.00} to satisfy the supposed charges. Despite my initial hesitation, the scammer used various coercive tactics, including threats of warrants, immediate arrest, and prosecution, to manipulate me into making the payment. Knowing that I am currently enrolled in university, he emphasized that a criminal record would ruin my future professional aspirations. Fearing the threat of retaliation, severe consequences, and acting under duress, I complied and unwillingly made three separate payments through XXXX, totaling {$3400.00} : {$1600.00}, {$1200.00}, and {$560.00}. 

Shortly after, I called my older brother and explained the situation. He immediately advised me to contact Wells Fargo and report the fraud. Within an hour of the scam, I called Wells Fargo 's customer service line and reported the incident. The representative assured me that three separate claims had been filed for each XXXX payment and that I would receive a response within ten business days. Although the representative said the claim process could take up to XXXX  days, I was assured that Wells Fargo would investigate the matter. Given my concerns about account security, I requested a new debit card, but I was told this was unnecessary. I persisted and was issued a new card. I subsequently blocked the scammer 's phone numbers and reported the incident to the XXXX. 

Over the following days, I became concerned when I noticed no claim reference numbers had been provided, and no claims appeared under the " Track Claims '' section in my Wells Fargo app. On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Wells Fargo again, and my brother and I spoke with a representative from the Claims Assistance Center. The representative informed us that XXXX claims do not generate traditional tracking mechanisms and that no email should be expected. He assured us that all three claims were active and ongoing. Furthermore, we were told that Wells Fargo had already contacted XXXX XXXX  XXXX, the receiving institution for the fraudulent funds and that XXXX XXXX XXXX was working to freeze the scammer 's account and return the money to me. I was advised not to contact XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX myself, as Wells Fargo was handling the investigation. 

Despite these reassurances, I decided to contact XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX myself. I spoke with a fraud department representative, who informed me they could not provide details about the investigation due to privacy regulations. However, the representative confirmed that I had taken the appropriate steps by filing claims with Wells Fargo. I was told that Wells Fargo and XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX would cooperate to investigate and recover the funds. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, my brother and I contacted Wells Fargo again to check the status of my claims. This time, a representative informed me that all three claims had been denied on XX/XX/XXXX, just one day after the scam and one day before being reassured the investigation was active and ongoing with XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. The representative told me a letter detailing the denial was sent via postal mail and advised me to wait for that correspondence. Frustrated and confused by this contradiction, my brother and I followed up with the Claims Assistance Center on XX/XX/XXXX. We spoke to a different representative, who confirmed that all three claims had been denied on XX/XX/XXXX and that no contact had been made with XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. In essence, there had been no investigation into my claims despite the false assurances we had received during our previous conversations with Wells Fargo. 

We requested a supervisor to reopen or reinvestigate the claims, but we were told this was impossible. The reason given for the denial was that no processing error had occurred and that Wells Fargo was not responsible for refunding money sent via XXXX. The supervisor we spoke with reiterated that because I had authorized the payments, Wells Fargo had no obligation to investigate further. This position directly contradicts XXXX 's updated terms of service in XX/XX/XXXX, which require financial institutions to reimburse victims of qualifying imposter scams, such as mine. 

At this point, we began researching the matter further. My brother discovered an article explaining the new protections XXXX has put in place to cover victims of imposter scams, aforementioned. With this information, my brother and I contacted Wells Fargo again on XX/XX/XXXX. We spoke with a representative named " XXXX, '' who confirmed that all three claims had been denied and provided me with the reference numbers for each case : XXXX for {$1200.00}, XXXX for {$1600.00}, and XXXX for {$560.00}. XXXX reiterated that Wells Fargo had denied the claims because there was no processing error or hacking of credentials involved, and the bank determined that my case did not meet their imposter scam criteria. I was told to contact XXXX customer service, despite XXXX 's terms specifying that the responsibility lies with the financial institution. Upon calling XXXX, I was redirected to contact Wells Fargo, confirming that Wells Fargo is responsible for investigating and resolving this matter. 

Wells Fargo has failed to act in good faith. I was misled into believing that an investigation was underway when, in fact, my claims were denied without any serious consideration. Despite the protections offered by XXXX for imposter scams, Wells Fargo refuses to take any responsibility for recovering the funds or rectifying the situation. I have been left with no recourse and no further assistance from Wells Fargo despite being a fraud victim that fits the criteria outlined by XXXX 's updated policies.