Consumer complaint received 2023-05-11 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem using a debit or ATM card
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX I reported to the police of ID Theft that had taken place for the month of XXXX. Between the days of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, nearly {$70000.00} had been withdrawn and charged from multiple debit cards, credit cards and a personal loan was taken out in my name. All of which were unauthorized and after researching multiple email accounts that had been unused for years, I found alerts from Wells Fargo that had been deleted, making it impossible for me to recognize the charges until my XXXX statement that generated on XX/XX/XXXX. I will go over the timeline of events that have caused me to question the ethical values of Wells Fargo and if they are actually properly reaching out to merchants in regards to disputes. On XX/XX/2023 at XXXX, I called into Wells Fargo customer service to inform them that my wallet had been lost of stolen. On this day, I reported 2 unauthorized charges from XX/XX/XXXX, less than 24 hours after discovering my wallet was stolen, in the amount of {$2500.00} and {$1300.00}. New cards were ordered and a claim was submitted on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, my longtime email and phone number for my Wells Fargo account was updated to an unrecognized phone number and an email that I had no access to and a replacement card was requested by someone unauthorized. This has to be the most dangerous and highest breech of security that I have ever witnessed by a banking department and I have no idea how that would even be possible. On XX/XX/XXXX, the online password for Wells Fargo was changed and XXXX Touch ID/Face ID  was enabled. On XX/XX/XXXX, an unknown number was registered to receive and send money through XXXX, in which {$2500.00} and {$1000.00} were sent to another bank account with another company. A transfer was also processed in the amount of {$2000.00} to another bank account. On XX/XX/XXXX, a XXXX transfer was made in the amount of {$2500.00} and a one-time immediate transfer of {$4000.00} was processed. On XX/XX/XXXX, the replacement debit card was successfully activated at an address that I was not living at during the month of XXXX. The card was then declined due to INSUFFICIENT FUNDS in the amount of {$5000.00}. There was another attempt that resulted in a DECLINE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUNDS in the same amount of {$5000.00}. Then an alert for biometric sign in enabled for fingerprint, this time from an android device. Funds were then sent back via XXXX in the amount of {$3500.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, The contact information for the account was updated to my long time phone number after I had called in because of not receiving any communications via email in multiple days.The account that had unauthorized activity was closed and a new one was opened along with myself changing the username and password to the online Wells Fargo account. The email was never changed, even though it was requested to be changed to my longtime registered email. On XX/XX/XXXX, there was a request for my debit card to be added to my XXXXXXXX XXXX account, in which I did not authorize and never have used before. There were also 2 emails saying Wells Fargo data sharing confirmation to XXXX, in which I have no idea what XXXX  is and did not authorize. A transaction was then attempted for {$1000.00} but was declined due to an incorrect PIN number. On XX/XX/XXXX, there was an email that said my enrollment for text messages has been cancelled. I then found an email stating INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR RECENT APPLICATION, which was for a personal loan in the amount of {$450000.00}, in which I did not authorize or have any knowledge of. On XX/XX/XXXX, there is an email stating YOUR APPLICATION IS CONDITIONALLY APPROVED, again in which I had no idea a loan was being attempted. On the same day, an email stating that YOUR CARD WAS DECLINED DUE TO DAILIY LIMIT EXCEEDED in the amount of {$3000.00}. It was declined again for the same reason, this time in the amount of {$2000.00}. There was then a 3rd DECLINE on the card for {$1500.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, a personal lending consultant reached out providing contact information for himself. There was then an email stating YOUVE SUCCESSFULLY ACTIVATED YOUR NEW CARD, in which I still had not activated a card since XX/XX/XXXX, when I called into the Wells Fargo activation line. On XX/XX/XXXX, a debit card was declined once again in the amount of {$3000.00}, this time due to daily limit exceeded. In the 2 years that I have banked at Wells Fargo, not a single month have I ever come close or exceeded any daily limit on any card. Contact information was again sent from the personal lending consultant. On XX/XX/XXXX, my contact information was once again updated and a NEW PHONE NUMBER was added to my account without authorization. On XX/XX/XXXX, Closing documents and an approved loan, along with a credit account was open in my name without my knowledge. An online transfer was then initiated in the amount of {$8000.00} to a joint account shared with another individual. The mailing address was then updated once again to the address that I no longer reside and a debit card was successfully activated. On XX/XX/XXXX, the same day, Wells Fargo did recognize the fraudulent activity and sent an email stating WELLS FARGO FRAUD DETECTION, due to a transaction in the amount of {$5000.00} from an unknown location being declined on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, Wells Fargo did send another email for WELLS FARGO FRAUD DETECTION, due to a transaction on XX/XX/XXXX that was approved for {$5000.00} and then a declined charge, from the same merchant, in the amount of {$3000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I had finally found all of the fraudulent activity at one of the reported addresses on the account, and immediately reported it to the local police. Since XX/XX/XXXX, I have had full access to my online account and as of XX/XX/XXXX updated the email address to the longtime email on file. After many days of trying to get access to the fraudulent email on file, I was able to on XX/XX/XXXX and found all of these alerts and messages that I had not seen since XX/XX/XXXX. During this stressful and depressing period of a month and a few weeks, there was one claim opened on XX/XX/XXXX with 2 transactions in the amount of {$3800.00} and 2 other transactions in a linked account in the amount {$3700.00}, XX/XX/XXXX with 4 transaction in the amount of {$2700.00}, XX/XX/XXXX with 2 transactions amounting to {$8000.00}, XX/XX/XXXX with 4 transactions in the amount of {$8000.00}, XX/XX/XXXX with 4 transactions in the amount of {$8000.00}, XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX a total of 8 transactions in the amount of {$32000.00}, a standalone transaction on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$3000.00}. All of these claims have been denied when providing an FTC report along with full cooperation of any information needed. On XX/XX/XXXX, I disputed a transaction from XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$1000.00} was instantly approved and finalized. On XX/XX/XXXX, when I called in to check the status of my claims, the representative FIRST TOLD ME THAT SOMEONE CALLED INTO WELLS FARGO USING MY NAME AND SAID THAT THESE TRANSACTIONS WERE AUTHORIZED BY ME. I was completely astonished and screamed WHAT? YOU ARE SAYING I CALLED IN AND AUTHORIZED THESE TRANSACTIONS TODAY? The representative then said that he misspoke and said because the BIOMETRIC WAS USED TO SIGN IN AND THE DEVICE USED WAS THE SAME DEVICE AND PHONE NUMBER WAS THE SAME THAT HAS BEEN USED SINCE I SET UP THE ACCOUNT. I was at a loss for words after hearing that especially seeing all of these alerts during that time frame. I THEN ASKED HIM OK, DO YOU MIND TELLING ME WHAT THEY SAW ON THE {$1000.00} CLAIM THAT I ALSO SUBMITTED ON XX/XX/XXXX THAT GOT INSTANTLY APPROVED AND FINALIZED FOR A TRANSACTION DONE ON XX/XX/XXXX? THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID HE WILL NOT TELL ME WHAT CAUSED THAT TO BE APPROVED BUT THAT ALL CLAIMS ARE DIFFERENT. I completely understand that all claims are different and have different information, but when a transaction that falls into the same exact category as the others and was done in the same time frame, I am just curious as to why that was approved instantly? Was it the dollar amount, the merchant, a computer system deciding which one is not fake and which one is not? THE REPRESENTATIVE WENT TO LOOK AT THE SUCCESSFUL CLAIM, AFTER I HAD ASKED HIM TO SEVERAL TIMES, AND SAID THAT I SHOULD FEEL LUCKY THAT I GOT THAT APPROVED AND BE HAPPY WITH THAT. I lost a lot of faith in Wells Fargo Claims on XX/XX/XXXX, being told to feel lucky and be happy for receiving this approval. I know that the merchants were not contacted by Wells Fargo in all, if not the majority of these claims. Considering I have been in contact with all of the merchants in dispute, most of them confirm that the name on the account does not match the name on the card or that there is multiple declines on multiple different cards attempted through their systems. All I have ever asked for was a fair claim review that is handled ethically and without lack luster attempts to resolve claims. This is money that I have saved for years and to watch it disappear in a month with no similar patterns for the last 2 years is heart breaking. I hope that someone can please help me with this and provide some type of resolution. I appreciate the time and future effort from your company.

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