Consumer complaint received 2024-10-28 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU SUBMIT A COMPLAINT What happened? 
1. On Tuesday XX/XX/year> XXXX AM, I was very sick and send message to my boss to call off for work.

[ Attached Pic # 1 ] 2. Someone hacked and login to my checking account on desktop using username/ password, when I was sick and sleeping. 
Later this login session I could check on XXXX Wells Fargo app, clearly show at XX/XX/year> at XXXX PM. 
[ Attached Pic # 2 ] I could only screen shot this un-recognized session since they seem to delete records and only show activities from XX/XX/year> only. 
[ Attached Pic # 3 ] 3. Since I was sick the whole day, I could only notice that on the next day XX/XX/year> at about XXXX AM when I was preparing to drive my kid to school. 
There were email in my XXXX notified about someone added a payee in Bill Pay ( XX/XX/year> at XXXX PM ), [ Attached Pic # 4 & 5 ] and made a Bill Payment to another account at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XX/XX/year> at XXXX AM ). 
[ Attached Pic # 6 ] The bill payment at that time was still in pending and it said would 2-5 business days to deliver to payee. 
I immediately called Wells Fargo to report online fraud at XXXX AM ( XX/XX/year> ) ( 15 minutes ) and that I did not authorize any payee and bill payment like that. I requested to cancel that transaction and ask them to do anything possible to prevent this fraud. 
[ Attached Pic # 7 ] They created a claim at XXXX AM ( XX/XX/year> ) with claim number # XXXX. 
The bill payment at that time was still in pending and it said would 2-5 business days to deliver to payee.

Quoted from Email sent from Wells Fargo : We have opened a claim for you and will begin researching your claim as quickly as possible.

Here are the steps we will take to resolve your claim : 1. We begin our research. Well begin a review of your claim by determining how and when your payment was sent.

2. We may contact your payee if needed to get additional details about your payment. 
* If additional information is needed, we will contact you via phone/ email.

* If your payee requires your authorization to talk with us, we will attempt to reach you by phone to set up a conference call with the payee.

3. We will keep you updated. We will notify you of the status of your claim by sending updates to your secure Messages & Alerts inbox at wellsfargo.com. Most claims are resolved within 10 business days. We will notify you at this email address when updates are ready for you to view. 
[ Attached Pic # 8 ] None of this happened.

# 1 The bill payments transaction is in pending [ Attached Pic # 6 ] and would take 2-5 business days. If they reviewed and took actions to prevent this fraud, the transaction could not be able to go through the next day.

# 2 No contact via phone/ email were made. No conference call setup with any payee. So they did not give any idea about contact the Payee in XXXX  with XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. 
# 3 There was no update, notification, message. Only until I was so worry about my money ( {$3600.00} ) and set up an appointment with banker XXXX at Wells Fargo at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. She called to check and they told us the CLAIM IS DENIED. I asked why and they said its confidential and would only explain in the mail sent to me later in 10 business days. The mail I received later simply said that my claim is denied.

4. I need to get back to work and keep worrying about my money. At lunch, I called Wells Fargo again at XXXX PM ( XX/XX/year> ) ( XXXX minutes ) to check for updates. 
[ Attached Pic # 9 ] They told me nothing yet and that my checking account would be closed then transferred my money to a new account. It is a new Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Account. A new claim is created. Claim number is XXXX. 
Quoted from email sent by Wells Fargo at XX/XX/year> XXXX PM We received your notification of lost or stolen checks or a compromised account. This is confirmation that we immediately closed your existing account number ending in XXXX and transferred your money to a new account. Your new WELLS FARGO EVERYDAY CHECKING account number ends in XXXX [ Attached Pic # 10 ] The bill payment at that time was still in pending and it said would 2-5 business days to deliver to payee.

5. Got an email update on account activity at ( XX/XX/year> ) at XXXX AM. 
It said that my money {$3900.00} in existing and to be closed account number ending in XXXX was transferred to NEW WELLS FARGO EVERYDAY CHECKING ACCOUNT NUMBER ENDS IN XXXX. 
It said this information is accurate as of XX/XX/year> XXXX XXXX. 
[ Attached Pic # 11 ] The Checking Account number ending in XXXX was closed. 

6. An Affidavit of Online Fraud was sent to me dated from XX/XX/year>. Received on Thursday ( XX/XX/year> ) They want me to complete and sign the enclosed Affidavit of Online Fraud form and return the form using the enclosed envelope, or fax to XXXX. 
[ Attached Pic # 12, 13, 14 ] 7. Received a letter from Wells Fargo dated from XX/XX/year> via XXXX Mail on Saturday ( XX/XX/year> ). 
Claim # XXXX is forwarded to other departments. 
Quoted from letter : While researching your inquiry about charges of {$3600.00} on your account, we noticed that the transaction ( s ) can not be resolved buy our group. As a result, we forwarded your claim to the correct department ( s ). They will work with you going forward, and may contact you if they need more information. 
[ Attached Pic # 15 ] 8. Received a letter from Wells Fargo dated from XX/XX/year> via XXXX Mail on Saturday ( XX/XX/year> ). 
Claim # XXXX is denied. 
Quoted from letter : The claim has been denied based on the information available to us. Our research shows the unauthorized activity was made through a secure online banking session by you or someone who had your authority and that no other processing errors occurred. Based on this information, we determined the activity was authorized. We have closed your claim.

[ Attached Pic # 16 ] They just simply denied the claim and provided no protection to customer. 
This is how Wells Fargo is doing business with people. Its a waste of time to call them and wait for a representative. 
Please be noted that by the time I found out the Bill Payment fraud, the transaction was still in pending and it would take 2-5 business days to deliver. 

Despite my efforts to prevent that from happening, I still lost my money. {$3600.00} is a big amount of money that could have the polices to involve and conduct criminal investigation for Account XXXX XXXX XXXX number ending in XXXX with XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. 

I tried to called Wells Fargo to stop the transaction. Even they closed my checking account, created a new Checking Account and transferred all my money to NEW CHECKING ACCOUNT. The transaction still linked and took {$3600.00} in my new checking account. 

The question is that Wells Fargo really cares about customer and their seriousness in providing protection to their customers. 
I would like Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to consider my case and help me bring up those issues to Wells Fargo to do the right things for me and all other customers. 
Please help me to get the money back. 
Thank you very much and really appreciated.

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