Consumer complaint received 2024-07-24 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: MN

Complaint narrative:
Last month, XXXX of XXXX, I was the victim of identity theft. My purse had been stolen and someone pretending to be me went into the Wells Fargo Bank in XXXX XXXX, MN and presented XXXX checks for the amounts of {$4500.00} and {$4600.00} for a total of {$9100.00}. The imposter put {$2000.00} of that money into my husband and I 's checking account and was able to walk out of Wells Fargo Bank with {$7100.00} in cash. The imposter used my stolen state issued license and forged my signature on the checks. 

After the checks were deemed fraudulent by Wells Fargo, they, Wells Fargo, took out the {$2000.00} deposited by the imposter from our checking account. This is completely understandable as those {$2000.00} were fraudulent funds. However, Wells Fargo proceeded to penalize me, the victim of the crime, and took {$7100.00} ( the remaining balance of the XXXX fraudulent checks ) from my husband and I 's checking account, draining the account and taking all the money my husband and I have to take care of our XXXX children. 

Wells Fargo massively failed to protect the money that my husband and I entrust into their care. They also massively failed to activate any such security measures that could have prevented the given incident from happening in the first place. Furthermore, Wells Fargo penalized me, the victim of the crime, took all the money my husband and I have to provide for our family and refuse to reimburse what they took. 

A brief investigation was done by Wells Fargo through the Claims Department regarding the incident. The bank shared with us that they would look into everything and get to the bottom of what had occurred. After conducting an unreasonable and very weak investigation, the Claims Department made the following conclusion : " In researching your inquiry about possible fraud of {$9100.00}, we found that the signature on file appears to match the signature on the item in question. Additionally, your state issued ID was used as identification in this transaction. As a result, we can not reimburse you. '' Just a note that the signature forged on the checks DOES NOT match whatsoever. The investigator working with the Claims Department admitted that detail to my husband while speaking with him on the phone, stating that that the two signatures DO NOT MATCH and said she would inform the Claims Department of that as well. Clearly that did not happen. 

My husband and I have been faithful customers of Wells Fargo since XXXX. We are absolutely appalled at the horrendous customer service we have received during each interaction with a Wells Fargo employee in connection to this incident. We are also completely bewildered at the decision made by Wells Fargo not to reimburse us the money they wrongfully took from our checking account. The fault does not lie at our feet but that of Wells Fargo alone. If only they would have put more of an effort into their investigation they would have easily been able to prove that this was a complete fraudulent incident, XXXX that I did not commit. 

I would like to know how someone was able to walk out of the Wells Fargo bank with {$7100.00} in cash so easily? Even if they had my state issued ID ... did they even look at the picture to make a comparison? Clearly they would have seen that it was not me. Why were the dozens of security cameras inside and outside of the bank not used in the investigation? 

The stress and hardship of this situation and how Wells Fargo has chosen to respond to this fraudulent incident has caused a great toll on my family. We are a simple family just wanting to provide and take care of our children and contribute to our local community .... the {$7100.00} that Wells Fargo wrongfully took from our checking account, all the money that we have, has made those responsibilities extremely difficult to carry out. 

Please help us!!!

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