Consumer complaint received 2025-06-28 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year> at XXXX p.m. I received a text from Wells Fargotelling me they declined a transaction for {$170.00} and telling me to check my bank app to see if that was my transaction or not and to text back yes or no. I was working from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. that day and was sitting at my desk when I received the text so I panicked and opened my banking app to see what they were talking about. That's when I saw two other unknown, large amount transactions that Wells Fargo did not decline : one for a XXXX  store in XXXX XXXX, CA ( XXXX zip code ) for {$220.00}, and XXXX for something with the description XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, which I had no idea what it even was so I XXXX  it and saw that the only XXXX near the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX zip code ) for {$280.00}, bringing both FRAUD caims total to {$510.00} - neither of which were mine! I then text Wells Fargo back at XXXXXXXX XXXX. saying " no '', and received an immediate auto reply saying my ATM card was XXXX and cancelled. I immediately called the Wells Fargo fraud line at XXXXXXXX XXXX to file a fraud claim. They took my information and said it would be several days or weeks before I received the decision from Wells Fargo on whether my claim was approved. I went on to my banking app every day to check the status because I needed my money back- the fraud put my checking account in negative and took money from my savings account because I have over-draft protection! I was counting on my money to be given back to me! Then on XX/XX/year> when I went on my banking app to check my claim status, it said I had no open claims, so I searched closed claims and saw that my claim was denied! I was flabergasted and thought it had to be a mistake because SOMEONE STOLE MY MONEY and I didn't understand how that could be allowed. I then called Wells Fargo to get clarification and ask why it was denied and the guy who took my call was extremely rude, had no compassion or understanding AND basically accused me of lying! He said that they did a thorough investigation and came to the conclusion that " there was no way it could have been fraud! '' I was so offended, angry, and defeated at this point. I told him there is SOME way it could have been fraud, BECAUSE I DIDN'T MAKE THOSE PURCHASE TRANSACTIONS! He said that because I told them I had my physical card still and didn't lose it, it had to be ME who made the transactions. This is 100 % incorrect because I did not make these transactions. He was adamant and continued telling me " there's no way it could have been fraud ''. I told him I want to appeal the decision and he said I can't appeal it. I asked to speak to a manager and he said I can't speak to a manager, but he can schedule a manager to call me back within in 1-20 business days. I argued for a bit trying to get a manager on the phone right then, but he refused. He said I can speak with an escalation rep instead " but they're going to tell me the same thing '', but I finally gave in and said yes to let me talk to an escalation rep instead.The escalation rep was kinder, but did indeed tell me the same thing as the first person. He said I can not file an appeal, they will not re-open my case, and I can't speak to a manager, but I can schedule one to call me back in 2-10 business days. I had no choice at this point but to accept the manager call back. I never received a single call from any manager, or Wells Fargo at all. I then scheduled an in-person appointment at the Wells Fargo near my house for XX/XX/scrub>XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX The guy who helped me during my in person appointment was very kind and understanding but told me that they do not actually handle fraud claims inside the branches, only by phone using the fraud number hotline. But he decided to call the fraud number again for me, with me sitting at his desk to reiterate the situation to them and request to appeal their decision. The woman he spoke with told him the same thing they told me when I tried calling on my own, and she asked to talk to me so he gave me the phone and I basically had the same conversation with her again, that I did last time I called. She was not listening to anything I was telling her and stuck to her script of denying my claim and denying me the ability to appeal the claim or speak with a manager. I once again agreed to speak with another escalation rep and I asked the escalation rep what their basis was for denying my claim. She said it was because I had my physical ATM card still and that it wasn't stolen and therefore I had to have used the physical card myself for these transactions. I told her that I have screen shots from my XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX that day showing that I didn't go anywhere that day after XXXX a.m. I told her that I can get substantiation from my employer proving I worked the entire day and didn't leave, but she kept saying no it doesn't matter, your case will not be re-opened. I asked her why Wells Fargo even texted me a fraud alert and declined the third transaction if they didn't believe it was fraud and all she could say was " that doesn't matter, we sometimes send those texts out '', but literally could not give me ANY type of real response to that. I told her that the reasoning they are giving me is contradicitng itself because my WF app clearly shows that one transaction was used in XXXX XXXX, CA at the same time as the other transaction in XXXX, CA, so if they are using the " logic '' of " it had to be me physically using my card '', there's no possible way I could have been in two places at once using my physical card. She just continued saying, we are not re-opening your case and at that point I just asked the bank employee that I was sitting with in person to end the call for me, which he did. Then he was kind enough to file a greievnce for me on his desk computer summarizing everything that happened and he said he also emailed his boss to let them know and he thought someone would call me back in 3-5 business days. To date, I still haven't received a single call from anyone from Wells Fargo. I am not going to let this go, it's MY money, and I did NOT authorize either of those transactions. I want my money back!

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