Consumer complaint received 2024-06-13
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Money was taken from your account on the wrong day or for the wrong amount
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (NC)

In XXXX XXXX, I applied for a real position found on XXXX  website for a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX On XXXX XXXX XXXX I got an email from someone saying they were XXXX, asking if Im interested in a position still, and I thought it was real, so without looking too far into the sender address or anything, I replied saying Im interested. I didnt hear anything for a month and on XXXX XXXX XXXX, I got another email saying they were delighted to welcome me as an applicant to XXXX. I thought maybe they needed another application since Id submitted one for the real XXXX  already, or another round of questions like with some other jobs Ive had. So they asked me to fill out questionnaire stuff and I put a lot of effort into the whole process.. I emailed for XXXX  weeks back and forth with this person calling themselves XXXX XXXX  claiming to be a director of Human Resources at XXXX The email they used at first was XXXX  and then they used XXXX from XXXX XXXX  which was the first time we started emailing back and forth consistently. I know I didnt pay enough attention but I was very eager to have a better paying job that would benefit me career wise while in college. On XXXX XXXX, I was asked to receive an E-check from this person and to print it myself, which I didnt know anything about printing or not printing checks, I rarely have used checks in my life and dont know anything about them so, anyway, I went to staples after receiving it via email, and printed the first check for XXXX. I then mobile deposited it on Wells Fargo mobile deposit app, which was suggested by this scam artist, and waited for notification that the money was ready for me to access. The scam artist emailed and asked me to send them the money back for payment for computer equipment as my position at the company would be customer service stuff online. They also told me to keep XXXX  of the money for my first weeks training pay. I am not familiar with how checks clear at banks so when Wells Fargo told me I had access to XXXX  of the dollars immediately and that I would have the rest by the next few days, I thought I was good to go and that everything was legitimate. This was my biggest mistake in this whole entire thing. I will never make it again. Anyway, I then emailed and said Wells Fargo told me it had to wait for the rest of the money to be accessed and the scammer said its okay let me know when the check  clears. I then went to Wells Fargo on XXXX XXXX to withdraw the XXXX  in cash. The banker didnt ask me any questions as I was explaining that I was new to a big fancy job at XXXX XXXX  doing customer service. The bank teller smiled and said oh good luck. I then went to XXXX XXXX XXXX  where the scammer told me to go to deposit the cash into a business account for them to use for my equipment purchase. This time the teller didnt ask me a single personal question and I didnt talk about anything in particular. I think this would have raised some flags with someone if I was asked more questions. I then emailed through my phone email app telling them I was successful in depositing the cash. They told me get a receipt of my deposit and then take a picture and tear the receipt up. I did think some of this process was weird but I hadnt had a serious job ever so I didnt know what to expect. I repeated this process of receiving an E-check from this scammer two more times. I deposited XXXX  more the second check, on my phone into the Wells Fargo app and then I withdrew it as cash from Wells Fargo in person and then I drove to XXXX XXXX XXXX again and deposited all XXXX as a second payment for this expensive equipment. I was given XXXX  more dollars as pay for my second week of training on a third e-check that I mobile deposited that equaled XXXX. The training so far was non existent, we just emailed back and forth about me starting with the company and they sent me screenshots of fake company software. The last of the 74 emails between us was them saying they admire my dedication to work and I thanked them for the opportunity, and then I said I successfully deposited the third e-check after printing it and was gonna go get the cash when it was available for a third time. On XXXX XXXX  at XXXX, I got an email saying a check I tried to mobile deposit has been returned fraudulent. I went and looked at my checking account on the app and it said it was negative by at least $1,000 and that number kept going up when the other checks got returned fraudulent too. The account is currently overdrawn about XXXX as of XXXX XXXX XXXX (I cant see the exact number amount anymore because theyve closed off access to the account.) When I received these emails I was shocked and rocked to my core because I realized that Wells Fargo had led me to believe in one way or another that the checks were able to produce money. I have screenshots of everything. All the emails. I filed a police report and I even have a detective that is on my case trying to help me. I contacted the Wells Fargo customer service 24 hour line for reporting fraud as soon as I saw the emails around XXXX on XXXX XXXX  because I was panicked and was told to call back in the morning to speak with a banker. I went in person to Wells Fargo that morning and asked about the possibility of me explaining to someone over the phone what happened and basically I was told to file a police report and open a case with the fraud department at Wells Fargo. I contacted multiple people in multiple departments on multiple different dates when this happened, answering questions, making a case to have this resolved and to clear my name. Wells Fargo has said theres nothing they can do for me since I went and withdrew cash from my checking account and then deposited it to another banks accounts. They want to collect the debt and move on but I just dont feel right letting it go. I am including screenshots of the emails I have received both from the real XXXX  and the scam artist.