Consumer complaint received 2025-08-07 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account — Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
Wells Fargos online banking system contains a critical security vulnerability that enables common malwarespecifically XXXX ( XXXX ) attacksto steal customer deposits via unauthorized Wire Transfers. Wells Fargo knows this and this is in violation of FFIEC, and OCC guidance and regulations. 

Other banks have mitigated this but Wells Fargo refuses. 
These attacks exploit a combination of : A poorly secured website login, A flawed two-factor authentication process, and An inadequately screened wire transfer workflow.

Wells Fargos system design allows fraudsters to trick customers into initiating unauthorized wire transfers by mimicking routine login activity. Customers are unknowingly entering their credentials and two-factor codes into malicious overlays, believing they are logging inwhen according to Wells Fargo they are authorizing wires. Although enabled by Wells Fargo and completely unknown to the customer, Wells Fargo asserts that since the transaction came from their device they have authorized the wire, weather they have authorized it or not. 

Despite customers, including us, reporting such frauds immediately, Wells Fargo provides no meaningful fraud response or reimbursement process. The banks systemic failure to detect, halt, or recall fraudulent wires reflects neglect of basic security protocols and violations of sound banking practices as outlined in OCC guidance ( e.g., 12 CFR Part 30, Appendix B ).

Wells Fargo has knowingly allowed this pattern of fraud to continue in order to reduce operational costs, limit liability, and avoid the implementation of stronger fraud detection controls. The result has been widespread consumer harm with no accountability, despite clear evidence that these security weaknesses have been exploited for years.

We demand complete timeline records so that we can prove this but Wells Fargo has failed to provide them.

Formal Request for Verifiable Records & Timeline At this pointafter four monthsif Wells Fargo has conducted any meaningful investigation, then the following information should be immediately available to us, with full timestamps ( date, time to the second, and time zone ) : Login Timestamp Recipient Add Timestamp Wire Request Submission Timestamp Authorization Code Input Timestamp Receiving Banks Wire Acceptance Timestamp Fraud Report Timestamp ( Internal Logging ) Wire Stop Efforts Initiated Timestamp Wire Recall Efforts Timestamp Acknowledgment of Recall ( from Receiving Bank ) Wells Fargo Fraud Team Engagement Notes ( with Receiving Bank Contacts ) Receiving Banks Response to Fraudulent Wire Recall SAR ( Suspicious Activity Report ) Filing and Confirmation Date ( to OCC or FinCEN ) CRM Notes Logged About Our Case Below is an example of many CFPB complaints very close to ours. 


XXXX Unauthorized wire transfer reported as fraud, no reimbursement. Identical XXXX  attack as ours. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank failed to act on fraud report after XXXX-based wire theft XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  takeover, lack of fraud screening, immediate contact. 
Wire fraud incident mishandled ; customer funds not recovered XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Complaint over lack of fraud protections in online banking XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Security flaws exploited for wire theft, bank denied claim. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Wire transfer dispute ; bank failed to stop or recall funds XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Reported Fraudulent wire while wire was still pending. No effective fraud prevention even when reported quickly. Wells Fargo attempts to apply undue legal tactics XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Very similar to ours XXXX attack immediate fraud report. CFPB complaint filed due to denied fraud reimbursement XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Fraudulent wire sent after malware attack, no resolution XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank failed to notify customer before processing suspicious wire XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Very similar to our XXXX driven, quick fraud report. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Lack of fraud screening. 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