Consumer complaint received 2018-05-14
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (CA)

On XX/XX/XXXX, I had just placed an order with XXXX XXXX 's, when my computer locked up, and I got the Blue Screen of Death notice from XXXX on my computer. There was a telephone number on the notice, and I XXXX called the number. Before calling, I saw that my XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX had also locked and were frozen. Instead of turning my computer off, I called the " supposed '' number for XXXX and got XXXX into their criminal scheme. They told me that it would cost me {$490.00} to restore my equipment and I fell for it. I am even more embarrassed to tell you that I gave them remote access to my computer and wrote a {$500.00} check to XXXX XXXX , XXXX of which I again stupidly allowed them to scan it from my computer. During this entire process, I was able to call my IT person, and he told me that XXXX never contacts clients this way and that I had been a victim of fraud. I " immediately '' called my bank, Wells Fargo ( " WF '' ), to put a Stop Payment on my {$500.00} check, and the WF representative I spoke with told me that it would not be a problem. She also told me that it was a good thing that I wrote a check instead of giving them my credit card and that they could stop payment. I was assigned Stop Order Confirmation No. XXXX. After hanging up from my Stop Payment call to WF, I immediately called the FBI in Washington D.C. and placed a complaint. They took all of my information and then instructed me to immediately go online and file a complaint with the FBI 's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section ( " IC3 '' of which I did - a copy of my IC3 Report is attached. On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted the Federal Trade Commission 's ( " FTC '' ) Identity Theft Division to inform them that my and my husband 's Social Security Numbers may have been compromised. They took down the information and instructed me how to further protect our Social Security information. Next, at the FTC 's instruction, I contacted XXXX ( one of three credit services given to me by the FTC ) and placed a 90-Day Security Alert and was assigned Transaction Report No. XXXX. I also cancelled my three credit cards and requested new cards with new account numbers, in addition to changing my passwords and PINs. On XX/XX/XXXX, I was informed by Wells Fargo that they would not reimburse me my {$500.00} because XXXX XXXX , XXXX was also a XXXX and that they were able to cash my check - and WF would NOT stop the payment. I then filed a claim with WF 's Resolution Department, Claim No. XXXX, and the WF Manager of the bank I went to ( XXXX XXXX, CA ) assured me that I would get my money back. On XX/XX/XXXX, the manager at the XXXX XXXX WF branch informed me that WF would NOT refund my money because I gave my permission to cash the check. I disagreed and aid I did not give my permission. I asked, " why would I put in a Stop Payment with WF if they would not honor my desperate request? '' The manager then told me in her call that " it was no use because WF was not going to return my money no matter what! '' What good is a Stop Payment Order if WF will not stop payment - whether the payment was electronically or by hard copy?