Consumer complaint received 2024-06-12
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (CA)

On XX/XX/2024 I ( and my spouse XXXX XXXX unwittingly fell prey to a financial scam. We allowed ourselves to become convinced that my Wells Fargo checking and savings accounts had been hacked and that it was necessary to remove most of the funds held there in cash ( {$15000.00} from checking, {$20000.00} from savings ). I did this that same afternoon at my nearest branch in XXXX XXXX. ( The person on the phone recommending this action was posing as a Wells Fargo XXXX XXXX agent. ) During the withdrawals, I had been instructed by the scammer to come up with an excuse for the withdrawals. When the teller asked what the funds were being used for, I told him that I was helping my children with a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( which was not true ). Neither the teller nor his supervisor, with whom he consulted several times away from the service window, did not ask any further questions and proceeded to provide me with the requested funds, which represented more than XXXX XXXX of the value of the combined accounts. This combined cash withdrawal is, by far, the largest amount of cash I have ever withdrawn from Wells Fargo during the half century that I have banked with them. 

I won't go into too much detail about the sad story of how I lost {$8000.00} of that cash during the next XXXX days ( via a number of cryptocurrency XXXX  cash deposits around town ), but I and my spouse got wise and called the REAL Wells Fargo XXXX department around noon on XX/XX/XXXX. That same afternoon, we went to a different Wells Fargo location ( XXXX XXXX branch in XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) and closed our existing Wells Fargo accounts ( XXXX each ) and opened new ones. I deposited the remaining {$27000.00} cash into my newly opened accounts. 

That evening, I spoke with an acquaintance who works for Wells Fargo. XXXX said that the bank teller and supervisor at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX not follow standard training for my situation, which, while not denying my right to withdraw funds at my request, would still require more probing questions on the part of the front-line bank employees ( the purpose for which, obviously, is to protect customers against potential scams, especially elderly customers -- I am XXXX and my husband is XXXX, so we clearly qualify in that regard! ). 

For the next XXXX weeks we were consumed with protecting ourselves against any further damages from the existing scam, as well as preventing future scams. As a result, I was not able to pursue my complaint against Wells Fargo until XX/XX/XXXX, when we contacted the XXXX for the XXXX XXXX XXXX, who referred us again to the XXXX department so we could register a claim. Many details of what ensued from this is in the attachment " XXXX ''. The key detail is this : XXXX at the Wells Fargo XXXX department expressed some shock and dismay that the teller/supervisor did not ask more probing questions about the withdrawals ; curiously, after placing us on hold for a lengthy period of time ( and presumably speaking with more senior employees ), he backpedaled his stance regarding the " probing questions '' and merely stated that the bank had followed procedure, which he simplified to the extent that " they gave us our money when we asked for it ''. 

We received a call from a Wells Fargo employee on XX/XX/XXXX ( " XXXX '' ) ; essentially Wells Fargo was treating this whole matter as an " unauthorized transaction '' complaint, which it clearly wasn't. 

We met with the XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ( " XXXX '' ). We were given what we consider to be evasions, mischaracterizations and poor excuses for the lack of that branch 's employees to follow what was our repeatedly confirmed understanding as to their company-required responsibilities to provide some safeguards against scams. Excuses offered were ( XXXX ) branch is very busy ( it wasn't at that time on XX/XX/XXXX ), ( XXXX ) that the branch runs though a lot of cash and that our transaction was not unusual in that regard ( an unprovable allegation to us, not really applicable when a senior is withdrawing XXXX XXXX -plus of her account balances in CASH at XXXX time ), ( XXXX ) that their computer algorithm ( which purportedly flags against potential scams ) did not flag my transactions ( which XXXX XXXX was a very poor algorithm, indeed ), and ( XXXX ) that the bank had followed all established procedures. 

A complaint was forwarded by the branch to other departments, this is documented in " XXXX ''. Sadly, nothing came of this. 

What do I want? I want Wells Fargo to admit that they dropped the ball by not asking more probing questions on XX/XX/XXXX. I want an apology from Wells Fargo for what they failed to do. I want Wells Fargo ( especially the XXXX XXXX XXXX ) to carefully review, audit and provide additional training to their employees as to the proper procedures to follow in these circumstances ( procedures that follow the CFPB 's published guidance in this regard ). Lastly, I want full restitution of the losses I incurred as a result of Wells Fargo 's failures on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Thank you for your consideration.