Consumer complaint received 2026-01-07 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX, I received a text message asking if I had authorized a transaction in the amount of {$52.00} from XXXXXXXX XXXX. Immediately after I received the first text, I received several more. As soon as the first one came in, I called the number for the fraud department at Wells Fargo Bank to alert them to the fact that I had not authorized any transactions. By the time I was able to speak with a person in the fraud department, they had already paid out XXXX payments of {$52.00} and XXXX payment of {$26.00}. At that time, they opened an investigation into the charges, and I was told they would resolve the issue and contact me within XXXX business days. On XX/XX/year>, I logged into my online account to review the status. The update given was that a claim had been opened. I still hadn't heard anything by late XXXX, so I called them again to ask about the update. I was told the investigation was still in progress, and there was no update available at that time. On XX/XX/year>, I received a letter from Wells Fargo dated XX/XX/year> stating that they had completed their research, and they were unable to honor my claim. Their investigation findings stated that XXXX. The card was in my possession at the time of the disputed activity. XXXX. The disputed transactions occurred at locations or with merchants similar to my normal card usage. XXXX. The transactions were types or amounts similar to my previous purchasing patterns. XXXX. The email address provided to the merchant matches my email address on file. XXXX. The disputed transactions were completed using the same IP address used for my online banking. XXXX. The transactions in dispute were conducted with a device associated with my debit card account. As a result of these justifications, they reversed the provisional credit originally granted to me in the amount of {$280.00}. When I called them back after receiving the letter, I spoke with a gentleman in claims named XXXX. I told XXXX that no one had bothered to call me to speak with me in regard to my claim, or to discuss any information I might have regarding how my account had been accessed. While Wells Fargo was investigating the claim, I was doing research of my own and discovered that someone had hacked into my email, in order to access my XXXXXXXX XXXX account. I found the email address used to transfer the funds and also have proof my XXXXXXXX XXXX account was hacked. As a result, I told XXXX I wanted to appeal their decision and that I had this proof and could provide the bank with this information, but he told me there was no appeal process. I asked who I could talk to further about this claim, but he refused to elevate the claim, or provide me with any XXXX XXXX of resolving the issue. I then tried to contact XXXXXXXX XXXX, but due to the fraudulent activity, I had been locked out of my account. I have never authorized a transaction in the amount of {$52.00} on my XXXXXXXX XXXX  account in all of the years I have had it, so their justification stated in # XXXX above is completely inaccurate. I also have never authorized more than XXXX transactions in XXXX day on my XXXXXXXX XXXX account, so their justification stated in # XXXX above is also inaccurate. If Walls Fargo had done their due diligence, and if they had reached out to me to discuss my claim, they would have realized it was fraud, and they likely could have traced the funds, but they failed to do so. I want Wells Fargo to reimburse me the funds they chose to pay for the transactions I did not authorize and which they did not bother to speak to me in regard to, during their investigation. My financial institution is supposed to protect me, and my funds are supposed to be FDIC insured. They ensure their funds are insured, but they failed to protect me as their customer and consumer.

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