Consumer complaint received 2025-04-09 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX am I received a text that said Wells Fargo XXXX : Did you authorize a Wire Transfer for {$XXXX}. I said no. At XXXX XXXX, I received a call from a person who purported himself as XXXX XXXX, a Wells Fargo XXXX XXXX. He stated that a XXXX XXXX from XXXX had hacked my accounts and was trying to extract {$XXXX} but that he had frozen my Wells Fargo account and opened a new one for me. Since I had my account hacked before and was successful in stopping it and I was on my fourth ATM card, I believed him, and I was terrified. I was part of the XXXX & XXXX breach, and all my information is on the Dark Web. I try everyday to stay on top of it. He advised me to transfer all my XXXX XXXX XXXX funds to my new XXXX account. When I got to XXXX he instructed me not to tell them that he was on the speaker phone because they would stop the investigation. The tellers did not question my withdrawal of all funds, $ XXXX. He then had XXXX XXXX to Wells Fargo at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX and had me withdraw an additional $ XXXX from my checking account ending in XXXX. The perpetrator had a digital Wells Fargo ATM card that looked just like mine on my phone on XXXX XXXX and told me it was my new card and walked me through depositing the $ XXXX into a new Wells Fargo checking account that he said was my new account. He walked me through depositing the $ XXXX in installments as I was shaking the whole time. The next instructions were to buy {$XXXX} in Money Orders from the XXXX XXXX and then visit Wells Fargo at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA to request a {$XXXX} cash advance on the XXXX credit card for deposit into my old checking account and then withdrawal in cash. My credit card company imposed a XXXX  % fee for this cash advance. The perpetrator promised a refund for these expenses. He then had me return to the XXXX XXXX Wells Fargo Bank and withdraw the $ XXXX. He had me put the $ XXXX cash and the {$XXXX} in Money Orders in a XXXX  box in an envelope in between a flyer with my address on it and address the package the next day to XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. I initially chose the least expensive package of {$XXXX} but he threw a fit and said you will be reimbursed, go back in and choose the most expensive to get it there first thing in the morning so I paid {$XXXX}. This perpetrator had me on the phone for XXXX hours, XXXX minutes, and XXXX seconds. He told me he would call me the next day at XXXX am to finish the process. He told me to tear up the deposit slips and throw them out of my car window so that XXXX could not get access to my new account. Although she was in Texas and I do not engage in littering, I complied out of fear due to the circumstances. I went back to where I threw out the receipts and found bits and pieces, enough for evidence. He had me remove the ATM card from the wallet, saying I would get a new one. The Wells Fargo digital card ending in XXXX that the perpetrator had loaded successfully added to my XXXX XXXX, generated an email that I kept as evidence. At the end of the day, I texted my niece who is in banking and told her what happened, she immediately told me it was fraud and instructed me to get the XXXX  package. I went to the XXXX XXXX XXXX, but the package was already on the plane, however, I was able to stop the delivery. XXXX has yet to return my package. I have been calling but XXXX returns my calls. I called Wells Fargo on XX/XX/XXXX and was told they could do nothing but my niece said they could so we called back and customer service said they would handle it but they didnt, we called again at XXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX and they did nothing but told me to go into the bank at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX where the Banker treated me as if I was the perpetrator. XXXX XXXX, the actual perpetrator, called me XXXX times on different XXXX rolling numbers after I did not answer his original call. He texted, asking me to call back because " Wells Fargo blocked me. '' I showed the banker, and she heard my phone ringing, she even said I wouldnt answer that. I said, Im not, Im just showing you that he is calling me and still, she treated me disrespectfully. I showed her all my proof, she even found his account ending in XXXX in her database, so I asked her to block it, and she said, " I have no right to do that. It is his account, and you deposited the funds. I told her I did not expect her to give me my $ XXXX at once, I know the bank must do their investigation. I said WOW, I did it under duress and false pretenses, and this is how you treat me after XXXX  years of doing business with Wells Fargo? Are you providing protection for him? You not only have an obligation to fulfill as a fiduciary, but you have an obligation to protect your customers and the elderly. You see the account in your database, I have showed you my evidence and you are choosing to do nothing. The cash was deposited in your ATM XXXX at XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX  etc., on XX/XX/XXXX, you can pull the magnetic tape or whatever system you use here to audit but you refuse. The local police came to my home and agreed I have compelling evidence for the report. He instructed me to take a copy of the card with his name and report number on it and take it to Wells Fargo and kindly insist that the banker take his card and ask XXXX to please process their investigation side by side with his. She refused to take it XXXX  times, on the XXXX time she took it, only because I told the teller that she was sending to say no that if I had to I would have news media come out because I believe XXXX is simply waiting for XXXX  days to expire so that they can say Oh Well, the time has past and we have found nothing. She came out and was incredibly angry and said, I told you I forwarded all your information to the higher ups. I said, Well this is part of it, please forward it. Thank you. Today I received an email from XXXX with claim number XXXX and nothing else on it. XXXX XXXX XXXX is XXXX XXXX, tracking number XXXX, original tracking number XXXX. I called today, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, to inform them that my mortgage is past due since XX/XX/XXXX and urgently requested a return of my funds. XXXX said someone would call. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX from XXXX XXXX in XXXX  called at XXXX XXXX  and said they would open the package, count the cash, and return it to me the next day in the form of a check and that I would receive a phone call, but I have yet to hear from them. I have submitted the necessary documents for my claim.

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 explanation