Consumer complaint received 2026-01-09 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Card opened without my consent or knowledge
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding XXXX XXXX handling of a business credit card account and the resulting closure of my long-standing personal credit accounts, despite my lack of authorization, use, or control over the business credit card. 

I was a 25 % minority member of XXXX XXXX. I explicitly instructed the majority owner, XXXX XXXX, not to open or include me on any business credit card. I never verbally authorized, electronically signed, or otherwise consented to being added to any credit card account. I never possessed the card, never made a purchase, and never benefitted from its use. 

Despite this, a Wells Fargo Signify Business Essential credit card ( ending in XXXX ) was opened and used exclusively by the majority owner. Approximately {$5700.00} in charges were incurred, many of which were for non-business or unrelated expenditures. I did not manage, control, or supervise use of the card in any capacity. 

On recorded Wells Fargo customer service calls on XX/XX/year> ( approximately XXXXXXXX XXXX 30-minute call to XXXX ) and XX/XX/year> ( approximately XXXXXXXX XXXX., 1 hour 14-minute call to XXXX ), the majority owner expressly admitted to Wells Fargo representatives that XXXX never gave him permission to add me to the business credit card, that he opened and used the card on his own volition, and that he alone was responsible for the charges. These admissions were made directly to Wells Fargo and are contained in the banks own call recordings. 

Wells Fargo representatives also spoke directly with the majority owner outside of my presence and received the same admissions regarding lack of authorization and his sole responsibility for the account. 

In addition, I participated in a recorded escalation call exceeding one hour with Wells Fargo Escalations Representative XXXX XXXX, during which I explained the full factual background, including my explicit prohibition against being added to any business credit card, my lack of use or benefit, the majority owners recorded admissions disclaiming my authorization and responsibility, and the resulting harm to my personal banking relationship. During that call, the Escalations Representative stated that she was uncertain how the business credit card could have been opened or maintained without my signature or authorization and indicated that Wells Fargo would need to look into how that occurred.

Despite these recorded admissions, escalation discussions, and acknowledgment of a potential authorization failure, the subsequent written response did not address whether any signature, consent, or authorization existed, did not explain what investigation ( if any ) was conducted, and instead relied on generic policy language to close the case.

The business credit card ultimately went into default due solely to the majority owners failure to pay. Wells Fargo has confirmed, on record, that the charge-off of this business credit card was the basis for its decision to close my personal line of credit ending in XXXX and my personal Wells Fargo Cash Bach Visa credit card ending in XXXX, both of which had been in good standing for many years. 

Wells Fargos position has been that the business is responsible for the debt. However, even if Wells Fargo considers me an authorized signer, that designation does not establish authorization to open the card, authorization to use the card, or assumption of unlimited liability particularly where I explicitly prohibited being added, never used the card, never benefitted from it, and was a minority owner with no control over expenditures. At minimum, any business-related exposure would be proportional to ownership ( 25 % ), not 100 % of the balance, and would not justify punitive closure of unrelated personal credit accounts absent a * personal guarantee, which does not exist. 

Wells Fargo has repeatedly issued templated responses that fail to address : Lack of authorization or consent Recorded admissions disclaiming my responsibility Lack of use or benefit Exclusive control by another party Proportional liability The causal link between a third partys default and my personal credit harm The acknowledged but uninvestigated signature/control issue XXXX am requesting regulatory review of whether Wells Fargos actions constitute unfair or abusive practices by imposing severe collateral personal credit consequences on an individual who neither authorized nor used the account, expressly prohibited its opening, whose non-involvement was confirmed on the banks own recorded calls, and whose concerns were acknowledged during escalation but not meaningfully investigated. 

I am seeking : Review of Wells Fargos decision to close my personal credit accounts Correction of any adverse reporting tied to this matter Written clarification of my lack of personal liability Appropriate remediation for the harm caused

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