Consumer complaint received 2025-10-21 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
NEW CFPB COMPLAINT WELLS FARGO FRAUD-DEPARTMENT MISCONDUCT ( related to CFPB Complaint # XXXX ) This complaint is distinct from, but related to, CFPB Complaint # XXXX. 
That filing addressed the unauthorized wire itself ; this complaint concerns the false investigation, fabricated XXXX trace, and internal misconduct that followed. 

On XX/XX/year>, at approximately XXXXXXXX XXXX., an unauthorized online wire transfer for {$24000.00} ( reference XXXX ) was executed from my Wells Fargo business account ending XXXX. Neither I nor any authorized person initiated, approved, or confirmed that transfer. 

I did not see the automated Wells Fargo emails titled Wire Transfer Recipient Add, Wire Transfer Initiated, and Changes to Your Delivery Preferences until the next day, XX/XX/year>, because I have always relied on text-message alerts to my phone as the exclusive and consistent method for approving wire transfers on this account. When I receive a legitimate wire alert by text, I act immediately to approve or deny via the required out-of-band verification. Because I was asleep at XXXX XXXX. and no text or phone call ever reached me, I had no reason to check email ; the wire had already been executed by the intruder before I saw those messages. Wells Fargo employees have repeatedly acknowledged that the notification settings were altered prior to the transaction. 

XXXX XXXX fraud department opened its investigation on XX/XX/year> and conveyed to me verbally on the morning of XX/XX/year> that the case was closed with the conclusion No Fraud Found transaction approved by customer. No written closing letter, no documented authorization proof, and no proper XXXX documentation were provided to me. The departments decision came after only six calendar dayswhich included Saturday XX/XX/XXXX and Sunday XXXX XXXXmeaning the substantive review was completed in approximately three business days. The speed and substance of that decision are inconsistent with proper investigative procedure and the banks own protocols for wire authorization. 

The claim that I approved the wire is technically impossible for the following, specific reasons : XXXX XXXX own business-account wire procedures require out-of-band approval ( phone call or text message ) before funds are disbursed. 

The attacker disabled or altered my notification settings in my online banking profile before sending the wire, as confirmed by Wells Fargo staff and by the automated message titled Changes to Your Delivery Preferences. Because the verification channel was disabled, there was no mechanism by which I could have received or responded to a verification request. 

XXXX XXXX systems record whether and how such approvals occur ( timestamps of sent/received verification messages and responding device IDs ). There is no such record of a verification response from me because no text or call reached my registered device. 

I only discovered the email notifications the following day ; by then the wire had completed. Therefore it is factually impossible that I could have approved the wire in the manner Wells Fargo claims. 

The fraud department also asserted that a UCC Article XXXX trace had been performed and provided internal reference XXXX, but that reference is merely a Wells Fargo internal tracking numbernot evidence of a lawful UCC-4 filing. A proper UCC-4 trace is a formal, inter-bank legal process handled by the banks legal or wire-operations attorneys, requires written filings and interbank notices, and typically takes seven business days to return results. Wells Fargo closed this matter in roughly three business days and provided no attorney contact, no XXXX filing documentation, no receiving-bank identity, and no proof that any formal legal trace was initiated or completed. The staff member ( XXXX ) who asserted that a XXXX trace was performed are not attorneys and therefore could not lawfully have executed the required legal process. This is, on its face, a false and misleading representation. 

Taken together, these two false claims ( XXXX ) that I personally approved the wire and ( XXXX ) that a legal XXXX trace was completed indicate a deliberate and wrongful failure to investigate, a misrepresentation of fact to the customer and regulators, and at minimum gross negligence. I believe these actions may also reflect intentional misrepresentation designed to avoid full liability, and could indicate collusion or willful misconduct by the individuals responsible for the investigation. I state this because an internal-only trace number, a premature case closure, and a false claim of customer authorization can not be reconciled with the banks required legal processes unless bank personnel intentionally mischaracterized the facts. 

Immediate demands and preservation request Accordingly, I demand the following, and I ask that the CFPB require Wells Fargo to comply without delay : Preserve all evidence : Immediately preserve all logs, audio recordings of calls, internal chat messages, case notes, server logs, access logs, and file-system snapshots relating to my account and to this fraud investigation for the period XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. Preservation must include any records of changes to notification preferences, the full XXXX XXXX ( who changed them, when, and from which IP/device ), the full wire-operations queue records, and all communications about this matter among Wells Fargo employees. Any spoliation or destruction of such evidence will be reported to regulators and law enforcement and will be considered evidence of obstruction. 

Produce authentication records : Provide complete authentication and notification logs for XX/XX/year> ( and related days ), including timestamps, IP addresses, device identifiers, XXXX challenge/response logs, and any records of attempted or XXXX verification messages. 

Identify responsible personnel : Identify by name and job title the Wells Fargo employee ( s ) who recorded that I approved the wire and the employee who represented that a XXXX trace had been completed. For each named individual, produce a copy of any written statement, case note, or email by which they made that representation. 

Perform a lawful XXXX trace : Initiate a genuine UCC Article XXXX trace through Wells Fargos legal/wire-operations department and provide me and the CFPB with written documentation of the filing, the receiving banks identity, the steps taken, and the exact recall/freeze status. 

Remedial action and personnel discipline : If internal review shows any willful misrepresentation, gross negligence, or misconduct, I demand decisive remedial action including termination of any employee found to have intentionally mischaracterized the investigation or obstructed recovery efforts. If Wells Fargo refuses to identify and remove the individual ( XXXX ) responsible, the pattern of concealment will be referred to law enforcement and will be included in any civil claims I pursue. 

Written explanation and restitution : Provide a detailed written account of all investigative steps taken, the factual basis for the No Fraud determination, the results of any trace or recall, and the banks position on restitution for the {$24000.00} wire. 

Consequences of noncompliance If Wells Fargo fails to meet these demands within XXXX ( XXXX ) business days of this submission to the CFPB, I will take the following actions without further notice : Retain counsel and file a civil action against Wells Fargo and the individual employee ( XXXX ) who made the false representations, seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, and statutory remedies available under UCC Article 4A and other applicable laws ; Provide the preserved evidence and my complaint documents to federal and state law-enforcement authorities for criminal investigation into potential fraud, obstruction, or collusion ; Publicly notify relevant regulatory bodies ( CFPB, State Attorney General, XXXX as applicable ) and urge them to open formal enforcement and supervisory inquiries into Wells Fargos wire-operations and fraud-handling practices ; and Seek immediate injunctive relief, including an order requiring Wells Fargo to disclose the receiving bank and to freeze or recover funds as appropriate. 

These are not threats made lightly. I will pursue all available legal and regulatory remedies to the fullest extent if Wells Fargo continues to refuse to produce the basic evidence and accountability I have requested. The banks claim that I approved this transaction despite the XXXX notification settings a fact acknowledged by Wells Fargo staff and the false representation that a XXXX trace was completed are objectively false and materially prejudicial to my rights. 

Conclusion I never received or approved any verification text or call. Wells Fargos own staff have confirmed that the notification settings were changed by an intruder prior to the transfer. The banks conclusion that I approved the wire and its claim of a completed XXXX trace are both demonstrably false and constitute willful misrepresentation and gross negligence. The bank must preserve evidence, identify the responsible individuals, perform an authentic legal trace, and make me whole or I will proceed with litigation and Provide the preserved evidence and my complaint documents to federal and state law-enforcement authorities for review and potential criminal investigation into any fraud, obstruction, or collusion. 
Respectfully, XXXX XXXX ( 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