Consumer complaint received 2025-03-11 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:
XX/XX/XXXX I was contacted from a phone number XXXX. That told me they were Wells Fargo calling me because there had been fraudulent activity on my account at that point I asked them how do I know this is Wells Fargo in addition while I was waiting for them to answer my question I XXXX  their phone number on my phone and the phone number comes up as Wells Fargo to this day. It still shows on XXXX that this number is Wells Fargos phone number, I asked them to verify so that I would feel comfortable that I was speaking with Wells Fargo. They said that they would send me a text. I said OK they they didnt proceeded to text me from a texting number XXXX when they texted me they texted me a link stating that if the charges that they were telling me on the phone were not mine and that if I did not recognize them to click the link and press no. But before I did this, I scrolled up on my text chain from this phone number XXXX and I could see that I had a legitimate history with this phone number with Wells Fargo dating all the way back to XXXX so I felt assured that this was Wells Fargo, when I clicked the link to say no I do not recognize these charges thats when everything started changing while I was talking to them they were asking me to verify my mothers maiden name what city was born in the last XXXX digits of my Social Security number, and they proceeded to tell me my exact balances that I had in every single account that I have with Wells Fargo with exception of my mortgage, they knew all of my balances down to the pennies, and the reason I know this is because while they were telling me this information I simultaneously logged into my Wells Fargo app and was looking at all of my balances in each one of my accounts while I was logged into my app, I noticed my balance started changing and I got scared. I said why are my balance is changing on my account and he said that they were just verifying the fraudulent activity because the scammers took the money out and Wells Fargo is going to put it back into my account. I then asked him How long would it take you to fix my account and he said XXXX hours. after that I hung up and called Wells Fargo myself immediately and asked the representative if they had just called me to verify if I had fraudulent activity on my account and I let the representative know that they knew all of my information they knew my email address and my phone numbers my Last for my Social Security numbers, the scammers knew all of that and the scammer told me that he had changed my email address back to reflect XXXX because the other scammers ( the ones he was calling me about ) had previously changed my email & my phone number on my accounts and thats why I wasnt getting fraud alerts before he called me. That is why they called me so that i could verify fraudulent activity.This is what the scammers told me to get me to believe them that they were actually from Wells Fargo because I did question them. I asked, How come Im not getting any fraud alerts from Wells Fargo why are you calling me? They told me because scammers got into my account and change my phone number and my email address and they even read out the email address they even read out the phone number which I said no I do not recognize those. I told him Please change my email and my phone number back to what they really are. I told the REAL WF representative all of this during our conversation, all of this fraudulent activity was pending in my account. It appears to me that they did telephone transfers of {$1700.00} and {$200.00} to one of my checking account. They then proceeded to do a total of {$2000.00} to gazelle adventures and XXXX XXXX  which is what I have filed Claims on to get my money back. For whatever reason I keep getting denied my claims when I have provided screenshots of the text messages that I received from the scammers on the same thread as your verified texting number, I also provided the phone number that you can XXXX  to see that it is a fraudulent number, but it is listed as a Wells Fargo number. This is the number they called me from on your website. It says for us to report any phone numbers that have been spoofed I have done this and I am still getting denied my claim to get my money back. I dont have a lot of money so that {$2000.00} was everything to me. I was left with no money and Im now behind on my bills and I have been forced to borrow money to pay my bills. I have been crying every day because I was scammed due to a hole in Wells Fargos security {$2000.00} is not a lot to Wells Fargo but it is a lot of money to me. I have been banking with you for a very long time, and I dont appreciate how I am being treated this difficult time by having my claim denied. Please take into account all of the evidence and information I have provided to you and please please please reach out to me by phone or email or even text message if you require any more information from me, I will be more than happy to oblige your request. I am devastated by this financial loss.

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