Consumer complaint received 2023-09-08 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Closing an account — Company closed your account
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX I went to Wells Fargo to cash in some EE-bonds I had received as gifts from family/relatives from around the time I was born. The redemption of the bonds went well, I received the full amount the following day on XX/XX/XXXX. 

No less than four days later on XX/XX/XXXX, I received two emails stating that my Savings and Checking accounts were being closed due to the " one or more checks deposited to or cashed against your account suspected to be altered ''. Clearly this is not the case since the bonds were accepted by Wells Fargo, cleared, then deposited into my savings account. 

Immediately I called the Wells Fargo Help line and got through to account support, the gentleman was able to put me through to Loss Prevention. Loss Prevention wouldnt tell me anything about why my account was closing other than a detection of fraud. She also refused to speak to me when I asked my father a question since he was right next to me. She then berated my father and I, because " She can only talk to the account holder '' even though she had my consent to talk to him as well. She then hung up on me when I was asking my last question. 

The following day on XX/XX/XXXX I went to my local Wells Fargo Branch and I spoke with a personal banker about the issue. He ended up calling their corporate hotline, I did not know who he was talking to but I suspect it was someone from loss prevention. This corporate person had stated to the personal banker, whom then stated to me that : 1. ) The names on the EE-bonds were made out to another person with the same name and social security number as myself. though this person is marked as deceased. This confused me, because that should be impossible. I know for certain that my identity has not been stolen because my credit reports do not indicate anything of the like. 

2. ) I was then told I would need to get a letter with a signature and an explanation that the bonds were a gift at birth. These letters would then need to be notarized. The problem with that is that some of the people who gifted the bonds are now deceased and would be impossible to get such a signature. 

In an attempt to begin to rectify the situation, on XX/XX/XXXX, I scheduled an appointment with the local Social Security Administration Office. An Appointment was made for XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. 

The S.S.A. Clerk was helpful. She confirmed that I was, in fact, not deceased. She was able to get me a letterhead stating that I was not deceased. I thought that would be enough to release my savings/checking accounts. So at XXXX on the XX/XX/XXXX, I went back to the local Wells Fargo branch and spoke with another personal banker. This other banker called corporate and received the same information as provided in bullet number 2 listed above : to get a letter declaring the bonds as gifts and getting the letter notarized. 

at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with a supervisor regarding the issue. The supervisor was not made aware of the situation on XX/XX/XXXX, but was then filled in on it by me. I was then not help and pushed to a personal banker as a form of deflection. 

The situation is not resolved at this point.

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