Consumer complaint received 2026-01-14 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CO

Complaint narrative:
To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am submitting this complaint regarding Wells Fargo Banks handling and repeated denial of my fraud claim involving a {$10000.00} ( {$5300.00} and {$5300.00} ) charge on my Wells Fargo credit card ( last XXXX digits : XXXX ). I believe Wells Fargo failed to properly investigate this matter and failed to apply the consumer protections required under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ) and Regulation Z.

Summary of the Issue Wells Fargo denied my fraud claim twice despite substantial evidence that the transaction was induced through impersonation and deception. I never provided meaningful consent for this transaction ; my authorization was obtained entirely through impersonation, false representations, and promises of reimbursement. My authorization for this charge was obtained through fraudulent misrepresentation, and I would never have consented to the transaction had I known the true identity or intent of the individual involved Timeline and Facts * XX/XX/XXXX : After my XXXX XXXX flight was canceled, I googled XXXX XXXX number and contacted what I believed to be XXXX XXXX customer service. I was told there were no available XXXX XXXX flights and that I had no choice but to take a XXXX XXXX  home. I was instructed to pay {$5300.00} with the promise that the charge would be refunded. This was all confirmed via email as well and I will attach them in pdf form. 
* The individual stated that the charge was processed twice by mistake ( {$5300.00} and {$5300.00} ) and assured me that both charges would be refunded. I was told this payment was necessary to secure replacement flights. 
* At the time, XXXX XXXX was reporting widespread system issues and mass flight cancellations, which made the situation appear legitimate. I was told that XXXX XXXX had large scale technical issues with there planes around this time, I have attached a new article showing this. XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Initially, I reported the transaction to Wells Fargo as a dispute due to concern over the large charge and the promised refund. At that time, I still believed I was communicating with a legitimate XXXX XXXX representative. 
XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX : Once I discovered this was a scam, I immediately canceled my credit card and submitted a formal fraud claim. 
* The individual involved identified himself as XXXX XXXX, using the phone number XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX and email XXXX. This information matches a known airline impersonation scam reported on XXXX  XXXX ( Report # XXXX and # XXXX ), which closely mirrors my experience and a know fraudulent operation that others have experienced. ( links attached below ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  I later confirmed that this individual was not affiliated with XXXX XXXX or any XXXX XXXX My authorization was obtained solely through impersonation and false representations, including explicit promises of reimbursement. 
* Wells Fargo denied my fraud claim twice. I was not contacted by Wells Fargo to discuss the fraud, clarify details, or provide additional information from what I described in my initial dispute. No meaningful investigation was communicated to me. I was also not even sure if they changed my claim from a regular dispute to a fraud claim. 
* During the dispute process, Wells Fargo continued corresponding with the fraudulent merchant instead of recognizing the transaction as impersonation fraud. I am extremely concerned that they engaged with the individual who scammed me without alerting me to any potential risks. I am also at a loss as to how this person obtained my passport and personal information to make the booking, given that they were not affiliated with the airline. 
XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX, I discovered that Wells Fargo denied my claims for a second time. I was not notified of this denial via email or written correspondence ; I only learned of it through the Wells Fargo app, and no reason was provided. When I called on XX/XX/XXXX, to report the fraud, I was not informed that my claims had already been closed. I found out on XX/XX/XXXX when speaking to the new agent. The dispute agent speculated that we were talking to a third party travel agent but I was never under the impression I spoke to a third party rep I called XXXX XXXX. I never agreed to services being provided by a third party and was under the impression I was dealing directly with XXXX XXXX agent acknowledged that scammers can pay XXXX to display fraudulent numbers in place of legitimate companies. This is precisely what occurred in my case, confirming that I was misled and unaware that I was communicating with a fraudulent operation impersonating XXXX XXXXXXXX.The services were never rendered, and I was promised a refund, for which we have written confirmation, but the refund was never received. I would not have booked the flight had I known the refund would not be honored. The Wells Fargo representative tried to argue that we called a third party but we did not the merchant was misrepresenting as an XXXX XXXX representative and that the involvement of a third party was never disclosed. The Wellsfargo rep refused to put in a fraud claim as he did not believe it was fraud after admitting that he knows they " misrepresented an airline '' on the call. I request that Wells Fargo properly investigate this claim as impersonation fraud, apply the protections required under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ) and Regulation Z, and reverse the fraudulent charge. 

Why Wells Fargos Actions Are Improper Under the Fair Credit Billing Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1666 ) and Regulation Z ( 12 C.F.R. 1026.13 ), a billing error includes charges for goods or services not delivered as agreed. Although transportation occurred, it was not delivered as agreed, because my consent was obtained through impersonation and false promises of reimbursement.

Additionally, under the Truth in Lending Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1602 ( p ) ), unauthorized use includes transactions where meaningful authorization was not given. My authorization was induced by fraud and would not have been provided absent of the deception, rendering it invalid. 

Despite this, Wells Fargo treated the transaction as authorized solely because travel occurred, without addressing the fraudulent inducement, impersonation, or misrepresentation that voided my consent.The individuals involved had access to my personal information, fight details, and deliberately impersonated legitimate airline representatives. I relied on these false representations specifically their claimed identity and promises of reimbursement when authorizing the charges.

Harm Caused Wells Fargos repeated denials and failure to properly investigate have caused significant financial and emotional distress. The magnitude of the charge and the uncertainty surrounding its resolution have disrupted my sleep and daily functioning. I recently found out I am pregnant and this has deeply affect my physical and mental health. 

Supporting Documentation Submitted * Emails and communications from the impersonator and promise of refund XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX reports ( # XXXX and # XXXX ) * Police report * FTC report * Wells Fargo denial correspondence and claim numbers ( XXXX and XXXX ) I was not given fraud claim numbers Thank you for your time and assistance. I appreciate the CFPBs role in ensuring that financial institutions comply with consumer protection laws. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX : XXXX

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