Consumer complaint received 2025-11-26 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
Violation of my mother 's rights under Regulation XXXX/ Failure to investigate unauthorized transaction under Regulation XXXX/ failure to detect, identity and respond to elder fraud. 

I am writing to formally dispute the unauthorized transactions that appeared on my XXXX XXXX XXXX mother 's Wells Fargo checking account XXXX. A few weeks ago I noticed XXXX separate transactions, totaling {$13000.00} originating from multiple on line merchants and in bank and ATM withdrawals. 
My mother is XXXX  refugee who fled the war in XXXX. She came to this country to seek protection. She does not speak any XXXX. She does XXXX XXXX nor she does know how to use an internet or ATM. She did not authorize, approve, or initiate these transactions in any manner. 

Upon discovering these charges, I immediately contacted XXXX XXXX customer service and initiated a dispute. I told to XXXX that someone XXXX XXXX who had access to my mother 's house on regular basis as a XXXX  could have XXXX  the debit card info and used it for online purchases. I also told to XXXX that while being in the house she could have been taking the debit card from my mother 's purse XXXX XXXX to the ATM to make withdrawals and afterwards to place the card back into the purse. She, also, could have seen the pin because she was present with my mother during times when my mother paid for her groceries at local XXXX store using pin. I, also, told that there is a police report being filed on XX/XX/XXXX against XXXX and provided XXXX with police report number and the name of detective investigating XXXX for fraud .However, on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX of the letters from Wells Fargo XXXX received a response stating that my claims were denied, concluding that the transactions were authorized and that a processing error did not occur. This conclusion is inaccurate, and I am formally requesting a reconsideration of my claims under Regulation XXXX ( Electronic Fund Transfer Act, XXXX XXXX XXXX ), which protects consumers from unauthorized electronic transactions. 

Grounds for Reconsideration : Regulation XXXX Violation Under XXXX CFR XXXX ( d ), a financial institution must conduct a reasonable investigation into a disputed electronic transaction. A blanket denial without sufficient evidence to support authorization does not satisfy this requirement. Use of PIN does not make transactions authorized either. 
A bank may not deny claims purely because a PIN was used or because the thief got my mother 's debit card from her purse and/or has managed to retrieve the PIN and used it for a cash withdrawals. The question is whether my mother authorized the transfers, and she did not. If the bank refuses to honor claims, it owes a written explanation grounded in its investigation and supportive documents that my mother authorized transactions, not a summary rejection. 

Burden of XXXX XXXX XXXX CFR XXXX ( d ) ( XXXX ), it is the banks responsibility to demonstrate that the transactions were authorized, not the customers burden to prove they were unauthorized. Given that these transactions occurred online and at ATM and in bank ( cash withdrawals ) with the debit card of an elderly person who does not do an internet and does not know how to originate online purchases nor use an ATM and never went to bank for cash withdrawals purposes, besides does not speak XXXX, further verification should be required.Numerous times I asked that bank requested from online merchants the IP addresses in order to review the geolocation the disputed transactions were originated from or review the video footage of ATM and XXXX withdrawals that shows who indeed makes withdrawals but was refused. The bank stated that there is no indication that fraud occured because transactions were made either by my mother or by someone who she gave permission to which is in violation of XXXX CFR XXXX ( d ) ( XXXX ). 

Failure to Provide Supporting Evidence Wells Fargo has not provided documentation demonstrating how it determined the transactions were authorized. According to XXXX CFR XXXX ( d ) ( XXXX ), my mother have the right to request and review the banks investigative findings. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX If these transactions were processed via my mother 's debit card, XXXX and XXXX policies typically protect consumers from fraudulent charges, especially when the physical card was not used. In my mother 's case there were XXXX online transactions which she did not authorize. 

Exception to XXXX  days liability rule due to extenuating circumstances such as vulnerability of my elderly mother XXXX XXXX CFR XXXX ( XXXX ) and Wells Fargo policy to extend time for those consumers who could not file claims within XXXX  days due to events beyond their control. 

Wells Fargo failed to comply with its own policies and procedures, and with XXXX rules, in failing to identify and respond to obvious warning signs that my XXXX XXXX XXXX mother was being financially exploited. Only XXXX transaction from XX/XX/XXXX from unknown company for {$5000.00} calls into questioning, specifically how XXXX XXXX XXXX woman who does not speak XXXX could have make online purchase for such a large sum of money if she never spent more than {$80.00} dollars in a XXXX transaction at the local store. Wells Fargo failed to generate XXXX and inform law enforcement of potential ongoing exploration in a timely manner which could have prevented all other fraudulent transactions. 

Given the above, I am formally requesting : A full reconsideration of my claims. 

Any documentation Wells Fargo used to determine the transactions were authorized. 

A provisional credit of XXXX XXXXXXXX the claims are re-evaluated, as required under XXXX CFR XXXX ( c ) ( XXXX ) ( i ). 

Failure to appropriately handle these claims in compliance with federal regulations may leave me no choice but to escalate this matter to other relevant regulatory and law bodies and media. I trust Wells Fargo will adhere to its obligations and resolve this matter fairly XXXX XXXX.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief