Consumer complaint received 2023-08-22
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (CO)

{$2700.00} has been missing from my account since XX/XX/XXXX. I notified my bank ( Wells Fargo ) on XX/XX/XXXX of the missing funds. It is now XX/XX/XXXX and the funds have not been returned nor has a provisional credit has been made to ensure I have access to my money. It seems obvious that the payee was altered, did not match the endorsement on the back, and the original check should not have been able to be deposited without further inspection/verification. Additionally, the image of the check that was deposited is missing ABA routing information on the back to show where funds were deposited. I believe this is a failure of both banking institutions and that the funds should not have been able to leave my account until that information was verified. If these safeguards had been followed by the banks, this fraud would not have occurred. 

A check that was obviously altered ( payee appears to have been whited out and written over ) was deposited into an unknown stranger 's account. I notified my bank ( Wells Fargo ) about the fraud on XX/XX/XXXX. I called for updates on multiple occasions in that week following and was met with a handful of customer service reps that passed me between departments multiple times in what became a very frustrating and upsetting experience that left me feeling completely defeated and unable to recoup my missing funds. They were not able to tell me where the check in question was cashed and if it was deposited or if it was cashed. They told me the back of the check was missing the normal " routing '' information with what they would need to track the funds. 

On XX/XX/XXXX Wells Fargo closed my open claim without any follow up or communication to me. On XX/XX/XXXX I noticed the claim was noted as closed in my online account review, so I called Wells Fargo and was told the original claim was with the wrong department and a new claim was created on XX/XX/XXXX with another department. During that XX/XX/XXXX call, they were still not able to give me any update on the status of the claim or where the check had been deposited/cashed but said they would " expedite '' the claim because I had already been waiting for 10 days. On XX/XX/XXXX I received a phone call back from the correct claims department ( " check fraud ''? ). I was told that they were able to identify that the check was deposited into an account at a XXXX XXXX XXXX branch, and that it did look like the payee had been tampered with, but that XXXX XXXX was requesting an affidavit from me before they would move forward with the investigation and return funds on their end. I was directed to go into my local branch to get the affidavit printed and sign with the notary there. I was able to complete that, and it was sent back to with a carbon copy of the original check as written ( with the obvious alterations ) at approximately XXXX XXXX  MST XX/XX/XXXX via fax ( to the number provided ). I was told that a provisional deposit would likely be made once that document was received since I had a carbon copy that showed the alterations. On XX/XX/XXXX I had yet to receive a provisional deposit of the missing funds or any confirmation of receipt of the affidavit. So I called back to Wells Fargo, again was passed to another department, and then was told that whoever I was talking to was unable to provide me any additional information. I was told that " is something handled by the back office. '' I asked to speak to whoever had called me the day prior and was told that was not an option but that they would be able to put in a request for someone to call me back again with 48 hours. I am without my funds for 22  days and multiple issues/frustration while a criminal was easily given my money without any issue.