Consumer complaint received 2026-05-18 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: WA

Complaint narrative:
I formally dispute the conclusion reached regarding claim XXXX and request an immediate escalation and reinvestigation of this matter. Your response improperly characterizes this incident as a simple authorized merchant dispute while failing to adequately address the fraudulent and deceptive conduct used to induce the transfer. This was not a legitimate transaction dispute involving dissatisfaction with services. The funds were obtained through misrepresentation and fraudulent inducement. The recipient represented themselves as a legitimate business/provider through XXXX and XXXX XXXX in order to obtain payment. After payment was sent, the account immediately changed identifying information and failed to provide the promised services/products. This behavior is consistent with intentional fraud and impersonation, not a routine contractual disagreement between consumer and merchant. Your determination appears to rely solely on the fact that I technically initiated the transfer. However, authorization obtained through deception, impersonation, or fraudulent misrepresentation should not automatically eliminate consumer protections or end the investigation. At no point did I knowingly authorize funds to be transferred to a fraudulent party operating under false pretenses. Additionally, I believe the investigation conducted was inadequate for several reasons : The response fails to explain what investigative steps were actually taken. No evidence was provided showing how the recipient was determined to be legitimate. No explanation was provided regarding whether account activity, profile changes, fraud indicators, prior complaints, or suspicious conduct were reviewed. XXXX XXXX delayed the dispute process by instructing me to first request a refund instead of immediately processing the fraud dispute, reducing my ability to recover funds promptly. The response improperly shifts all responsibility to the consumer despite clear evidence of deceptive conduct by the recipient. I am requesting the following immediately : 1. A full reinvestigation of this claim under fraud and deceptive inducement standards rather than a standard merchant dispute framework. 2. Copies of all records, investigative notes, findings, policies, and evidence relied upon in denying reimbursement. 3. Clarification regarding what specific evidence was used to conclude no error occurred. 4. Confirmation of whether the recipient account was reviewed for suspicious activity, prior fraud complaints, or account/profile changes after payment. 5. Escalation of this matter to a senior investigator or executive review team. I acted promptly and in good faith upon discovering the fraud. I provided supporting evidence and attempted recovery through the channels instructed to me. The current response does not sufficiently address the fraudulent nature of this incident and fails to provide transparency regarding the investigation performed. If this matter continues to be denied without meaningful review, I reserve the right to pursue additional complaints with state and federal regulatory agencies and explore all available legal remedies

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