Consumer complaint received 2026-03-10 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: WY

Complaint narrative:
CFPB Complaint Predictable PreHoliday Fraud Risk, Inadequate Staffing, and Delayed Access to Fraud Reporting Summary : Wells Fargo failed to prepare for a known preholiday fraud risk window, did not staff appropriately for the increased fraud activity that occurs during holiday closures, and then made it extremely difficult to report the fraud by routing me into prolonged hold times and unavailable branches. These preventable delays contributed directly to the loss and to the banks later misclassification of the transaction. -- - Complaint Narrative 1. The fraud occurred during a predictable, highrisk period : the night before a major holiday closure. The unauthorized withdrawal occurred the night before XXXX. This is a welldocumented period of elevated fraud activity across the banking industry. Banksincluding Wells Fargohave internal risk models that account for increased ATM fraud, account takeover attempts, and unauthorized withdrawals during holiday closures. Despite this, Wells Fargo did not implement any additional safeguards, alerts, or verification steps that could have prevented or flagged the unauthorized transaction. 2. Wells Fargo instructed me to go to a branch that was closed for the holiday. When I attempted to report the fraud immediately, I was told to visit a branch that was closed due to the holiday. This instruction was impossible to follow and delayed my ability to report the fraud in person or obtain assistance. 3. After the holiday, I experienced prolonged hold times and delayed access to the fraud department. Every call I made after the holiday resulted in unusually long hold times. These delays : Prevented timely reporting Prevented timely correction of misinformation Prevented me from providing evidence Prevented clarification of details Wells Fargo later relied on Delayed the fraud investigation beyond what is reasonable These were not normal customer service delays. They were consistent and occurred on every call related to the fraud claim. 4. Wells Fargo failed to staff appropriately for a known fraud surge window. Holidayadjacent fraud spikes are predictable. Wells Fargo should have had : Increased staffing Faster routing to fraud specialists Clearer instructions for afterhours reporting A process that does not rely on closed branches A system that does not place fraud victims on extended holds The banks failure to prepare for a known risk window directly contributed to the harm. 5. These delays contributed to the banks misclassification of the transaction. Because Wells Fargo did not allow timely reporting or communication, the bank later misclassified the transaction as customer authorized, despite : Immediate reporting Law enforcement classifying it as fraud A valid search warrant Evidence I provided The timing of the incident The known holiday fraud pattern The banks own delays contributed to the inaccurate conclusion.

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