Consumer complaint received 2026-01-12 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, I called a business I believed to be XXXX, which is the XXXX XXXX XXXX company. This is how they identified themselves when they answered my call. My homeowner policy was up for renewal and I thought the price was too high. So I asked for a discount or drop in the rate for my homeowner policy renewal. The woman on the phone said she would speak to her supervisor. A minute later she came back and told me XXXX would be happy to give me a one-time discount so my renewal would be {$2500.00} instead of the {$3000.00} I was billed. She told me I would have to pay for it over the phone that day, which I had no problem with. I gave her the information of my Wells Fargo Visa card, she ran the charge, and the transaction was complete. 

A few days later I realized that I had not received any email or text notification regarding the transaction. When I checked my XXXX app it did not appear either. The charge did appear on my credit card in my WF account, but the merchant name was XXXX XXXX. I thought that was odd, but since XXXX uses XXXX I thought they might also use the companies. I tried to call the number I used for the original call to try to get an email confirmation, but that number actually was for XXXX and they told me they had no record of the phone call I described or the {$2500.00} transaction. I then tried to call the phone number listed on my WF account for this transaction, but I found the phone was never answered. I tried many times on different days. 

I knew then that I had been defrauded, so I opened a claim at WF fraud department. They temporarily reversed the charge on the card and then investigated. In a couple of months they told me my claim was denied because the merchant responded to their satisfaction. I could not believe that so I requested WF send me all information received from XXXX XXXX regarding this dispute. They sent it, and I saw the following evidence of fraud : 1. XXXX XXXX claims it was a transaction on their website, but really it was over the phone.

2. They claim it was for an airline ticket, but really it was for homeowner insurance.

3. They provided zero detailed information regarding the alleged airline ticket : no airline, no itinerary, no ticket copy, absolutely nothing that a legitimate travel business would provide if the ticket actually existed.

4. They gave a confirmation number, but a confirmation number only has meaning to a specific airline, so this number meant nothing.

5. They indicated they sent the email confirmation of the purchase to an email address that I do not own, have never used, and did not know existed. It is fake.

6. They provided a forged signature of mine used to give my permission for electronic signature. I understand it's not a a real signature, but I never filled out any such form, which makes that signature a forgery.

7. They provided an alleged email sent by one of their employees, a " XXXX XXXX ''. This is clearly a fake name used for the purpose of defrauding people.

8. They provided what is supposed to be a confirmation email they sent to me, but this email has every indication of scam. It contains absolutely no verifiable information except my identity and my card number and address. Absolutely

no evidence of the transaction they claim occurred. I spoke to a WF agent who agreed with me that these things were very troubling, so she kept the claim open and moved it to a second stage. After multiple days I received another notice they were rejecting my claim. I called WF again.

This agent was not sympathetic to me at all. Here is what she said : 1. There is a fine difference between fraud and scam. The difference is that scam occurs when you give your card number willingly to someone who is lying to you. When that happens, Wells Fargo will never back you up because it's your fault, so you're on your own. She said if XXXX XXXX had gotten my card number by some other means then WF would help me, but since it's my fault they won't.

2. She told me that the claim that was opened wasn't for fraud. Wells Fargo opened a completely different claim than I had requested. The claim had nothing to do with fraud or scam. Wells Fargo contended that I had cancelled the airline ticket and not received a refund. That was a complete misrepresentation of the claim I opened, and WF had lied to me from the start.

3. Since the claim was centered on cancelling the nonexistent airline ticket, XXXX XXXX was never reqquired to provide the actual ticket. They only had to provide a statement saying I did not cancel the ticket within the required timeframe. And WF took what they said as fact.

4. She told me Wells Fargo acknowledges the evidence of fraud I indicated, and they will not stand behind me anyway.

I again requested a better investigation, and a few days later I was told by phone call that my claim was escalated to round 3, and it would take more time to complete. I waited weeks and then received the notice that the claim was rejected again, the third time, and the information they sent me from XXXX XXXX is identical to the first round of information. Once again, the evidence of fraud is overwhelming ; the evidence of a valid ticket is absent.

I disagree that this is not fraud. When you agree on the phone to a transaction for one product which you never receive, but instead are accused of making a completely different transaction you never made, that is fraud.

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