Consumer complaint received 2025-04-16 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
Around Noon on the XXXX of last month I received a text from the " Wells Fargo Fraud Dept '' that said my credit card was used online for a purchase of {$1400.00} at XXXX XXXX. I responded NO and then immediately after received a call from a Wells Fargo number. A man from " Wells Fargo '' wanted to confirm it was not me that made the purchase and then transferred me to a specialist in the fraud department who went on to tell me that there was more activity going on with my checking accounts. She already had access to my accounts calling out charges on my account to make me believe it was Wells Fargo on the phone. After this she said a man was seen at the branch in XXXX closest to where I live trying to take out {$20000.00} in cash using my identity and that the clerks were exchanging notes with the man. She then said that the man went to the other branch closest to me to try and take out {$12000.00} which would have been all the money left in my checking account. The lady said that fraud and scams were going on all week at these two branches and that I had to go get cash out at these branches immediately before my money was actually given to the man. 

I headed to the first branch and asked for XXXX in cash ( They gave it to me right away and didn't ask why I wanted the majority of my money in cash ) and went on as advised to put into a new account that they created for me via XXXX  XXXX. I thought the XXXX  XXXX  was connected with Wells Fargo and that this would be my new debit card. I went on to put the cash into the ATM outside through the XXXX  XXXX  and thought my money would be secure in this new account. Then they told me to go get the XXXX ( once again did not ask me my reasoning for taking all of my money out ) at the other branch and put it into another card they created for me in the XXXX XXXX. 

I now had XXXX new cards in my XXXX XXXX with all the money in them. Please remember this whole time they sounded so professional on the phone, already had access to my accounts somehow, and made me turn against Wells Fargo and I thought the people in these branches were trying to organize a criminal activity with people on the outside to take my money. 

The lady went on to tell me that the XXXX cards needed to be deleted off my XXXX  XXXX  so these branches could not track them. At this point I was so confused and emotional and just did what they said. 

The lady told me that it was an ongoing investigation of what was going on at these XXXX branches and that my cards were secure with them and I would have access to them as soon as the investigation was done. 

Once I hung up the phone and called my brother, we talked it out and it clicked that these were the people scamming me, not Wells Fargo. 

My concerns are why did these people already have access to my accounts, why did Wells Fargo not ask and take it more seriously when I asked for 100 percent of my money in cash, why did I have to call the fraud team to find out that my claims were denied when they knew it was fraud.

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