Anyone bank @ Wells Fargo?

[cindy47031]

This just blew me away... If you bank at Wells Fargo, I think you should be aware of this. (I'll try to make this long story short.)

My husband recently listed a vehicle for sale on an online website. After exchanging a couple emails with a potential buyer, the guy said he wanted the Blazer and never even tried to dicker over the price ($1500). Buyer claimed to live in WA, we are in TN. (Seem fishy yet? Would you buy a 16yo car and have it shipped across the country?) So yesterday, the FedEx Man brings a check, drawn on a SanDiego Credit Union. The Airbill and tracking # show the check was sent from FL (red flag, red flag). The check was for $3850. and had a totally different name than the email, and the airbill. DH emails this cat and guess what he wants us to do? DEPOSIT THE CHECK AND WIRE HIM THE DIFFERENCE!! (Yeah, right!) Then in yesterday's mail we receive a SECOND check, identical in appearance to the first, but with DH's name where the account registration should go. This one is drawn on WELLS FARGO bank, in Phoenix, AZ. Postmarked in St. Louis.

So fearing that someone has opened an account in DH's name, I call WF, and explain to them what is going on (or rather, try to). I am transferred to 4 different people, and the same basic thing happens each time. I give them the account # on the check, which they say is a valid account. I ask if it is registered in DH's name. "if you aren't the owner, I can't tell you that."

I explain that it appears someone is passing fraudulents checks on this account and want to alert them so they can alert the owner, and I also want to verify my DH is not associated with the account. "if you aren't the owner, I can't tell you that."

I ask if they can contact the owner and let them know about this possible fraud. "if you aren't the owner, I can't do that at your request."

At this point, I am pretty comfortable that DH is not on the account, because one of the 4 morons I spoke with said it was a business account. All the bad guys have on him is his name and mailing address, so I think we're safe. I did put a fraud alert on his credit report just in case, and am closly monitoring all of our accounts (I'm always pretty careful about this.)

Incidentally, I also called the credit union in San Diego. I verified all of the account information on that check and explained what was happening. The lady there said she would call the account owner. (Maybe she just said that to get rid of me, but at least she seemed to understand how this could put her customer at risk.)

This is why I bank at a small home-town local bank.

UGH.

Also interesting, I spoke with a fellow at the FBI here in Knoxville. He said there is nothing we can do to turn these losers in because we weren't actually defrauded. So no crime was committed. Since we were smart enough to see the scam, we weren't victims. Apparently, crime PREVENTION is not a goal for our law enforcement. These guys get to just keep trying and sending out fraudulent checks until they find some poor sucker who is willing to wire them $$.

I hope the fleas and ticks of 10,000 grizzly bears infest these people's pubic hair. I hope their cars break down in Death Valley in August. I hope a bird a poops on their heads just before they walk into a job interview.

Mean People Suck.

[funnybone]

It's amazing how many people fall for scams. I've seen a couple of similar cases on Judge Judy or People's Court.

ETA - I don't see why it matters what the bank is. The crooks probably printed their own checks and could have used any bank. People have been know to photocopy mone and pass it off as the real thing.

[cindy47031]

The reason I was upset with WF is that when I tried to tell them that someone was scamming their client, they didn't care.

My bank has called me when I've written checks out of state, to make sure it's me. WF, even though they verified it was a valid account, wasn't at all concerned that it had been compromised.

ETA: But you're right, the bad guys use all different banks.

[lindrusso]

I hope the fleas and ticks of 10,000 grizzly bears infest these people's pubic hair. I hope their cars break down in Death Valley in August. I hope a bird a poops on their heads just before they walk into a job interview.

Sorry this happened to you, but LOL. :D

FWIW, we have our mortgages through Wells Fargo and the one time I had to call them with a problem, customer service was very good - they took care of something for me that I know full well most places would have told me to do myself.

However, they did the right thing because how are they to know that YOU aren't the bad guy? The only way to protect their customers is to give out no information - period. BUT - sounds like they need a procedure in place for these kinds of situations - a way for you to report what's going on and then have them investigate without giving you any information. Why they wouldn't do that is beyond me............ :confused:

[Angelina]

As someone who works for a large bank, I can tell you our answer would have been the same. If anything, your husband should have called since the account appeared to be in his name, right?

Anyway, it's all a matter of privacy. As far as WF knew, YOU could have been the scammer trying to get information on an account that didn't belong to you.

Good luck, and I am glad you didn't fall for it!!

Angela

[Robyn1007]

In Wells Fargo's defense I would be pretty upset if some random person could call up and ask that they start questioning my account just because they said so. I think I would have reported it to the police first and then filed a police report with Wells Fargo to have them verify that your DH was not on the account. Even if the police can't turn it over for prosecution having that report means a lot more to a bank that your word on the phone.

I've been with Wells Fargo for the whole time I've had a checking account. While mistakes have been made by the bank they have ALWAYS rectified it quickly. These included shipping a check to an old address (changed the entire account #), allowing a $1600 mortgage payment from Countrywide Home Loans come out of my account (I was a poor college student, this put me about $1400 in the hole) and applying a transfer from my mother into my account to a different account of hers causing my phone payment to bounce (during college, we had the account set up so instead of sending me money she could just make a transfer into the account, they got the amount corrected once she called and credited me for the amount of the bounced check charge from them and the one from the phone company). It has never taken more that 1 business day from the date of discovery to get something fixed.

Funnybone is right, all they would need is an account number and routing number to print their own fraudulent checks, the business on the account may not even be associated with them.

[cindy47031]

I really wasn't asking them for information, I was trying to warn them that someone was trying to rip off their client. Even when I gave up asking if DH's name was associated with the account and just said please let the owner know the account has been compromised, they wouldn't do that.

[cindy47031]

Hey, I'm glad you all like WF. Good for you.

I just think that if we can't watch for each other, this world is in a pretty sad state.

Have you ever had a stranger do something nice for you? That's all I was trying to do.

Forget it. I'm gone.

[cindy47031]

No, wait sorry. Can't forget it yet.

I work at a financial institution too. Of course I would never GIVE OUT information. But I can't think of a single client who would get upset with me if I called them and told them to keep a close watch on their account because someone reported a possibly fraudulent check. In fact, I would watch that account MYSELF for awhile to make sure it stayed clean.

I guess that's the difference in my firm (brokerage, not bank) and the giant mega-banks. We have clients, whose names and faces we know.

Thanks for cheering me up, guys.

[lindrusso]

Hey, I'm glad you all like WF. Good for you.

I just think that if we can't watch for each other, this world is in a pretty sad state.

Have you ever had a stranger do something nice for you? That's all I was trying to do.

Forget it. I'm gone.

Whoa - no one's attacking you here - just offering different perspectives.............

I have a feeling that your initial questions in which you WERE asking for information sent up red flags for them and maybe they just stopped answering all questions because they were suspicious.

[funnybone]

Hey, I'm glad you all like WF. Good for you.


I have never dealth with WF.

[Ms. Chevious]

I used to bank with Wells Fargo and found them absolutely horrid. Nothing similar happened to me thankfully but I always found their customer service to be nothing short of obnoxious. I even had trouble trying to close my accounts, such as having to go to multiple branches after being told "Oh we don't keep that much cash here." :confused: (It was NOT a large account!) I also found out they destroyed a bunch of my cancelled checks (no, they did not keep copies either) and then tried to lie about it.

So I absolutely believe you and I'm sorry you had to deal with them but I'm glad you're smart enough to recognize the signs of a scam and hopefully you'll be OK.

[Robyn1007]

I have a feeling that your initial questions in which you WERE asking for information sent up red flags for them and maybe they just stopped answering all questions because they were suspicious.

That would have been my guess. And they may have told you they wouldn't do anything just in case you were one of the bad guys so that bad guy wouldn't think there was a way in at all and after you hung up the phone put an alert of some sort on the account.

If you would prefer to bank at a local hometown bank and that works for you then that's great but for me I have done far too much traveling and moving so a small hometown bank wouldn't meet my needs.

Even if people don't see the problem as being with Wells Fargo, I'm guessing everyone appreciates being alerted to this type of scam and also what kinds of things should set off those internal alarm bells. :)

As far as differing customer service, I've seen it at almost every major company and we've discussed it here. One person loves a cell phone company, another hates them. Heck, I've had people at the same cell phone company tell me wildly different stories. I ended up having to threaten filing a complaint with my attorney general because I had one representative tell me one thing (and verify it with her manager) regarding a rebate and after submitting for the rebate it was denied. They have now approved it after I sent them a 15 page fax with all of my support documentation including their advertising, details of the phone call I made to the company to verify the rebate eligibility and copies of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, all over a measely $80 that they owed me that they won't ever miss. :eek: That was not fun...:rolleyes:

[cindy47031]

Sorry to all of you for losing my temper. I know it was none of you who upset me and you were attempting to help me understand the other perspective.

I'm just WAY frustrated right now. That's no excuse to have been mean to you all, and for that I truly appologize.

Of course you're right Robyn. The convenience of the big institutions make sense for many people.

This is what I used to teach my students when I was a trainer for a huge mutual fund company. What is the impact of this situation? I showed them where to find the rules, and taught them to apply them using common sense as well as caution. In this situation, the bank stood to loose nothing by saying, no, the tax ID on this account does NOT end with 1234. (Not that I even got far enough to ask them that.)

But I'm really letting go now. Deep breath. One more. OK.

Please, please accept my appologies for the tone in my earlier posts. I am very ashamed for having taken out my frustrations on you all.

Love,
C

[Robyn1007]

Please, please accept my appologies for the tone in my earlier posts. I am very ashamed for having taken out my frustrations on you all.

Love,
C

Hey, we all get frustrated and loose our tempers once in awhile! :D When you are caught up in this kind of mess sometimes you just can't see the forest for the trees. Oh, and I've worked for some companies that just have one blanket policy to apply to every situation which doesn't make a lot of sense but is the best option for a huge corporation. That's what I like about my company, I am empowered to make decisions based on the needs of the company AND the customer. :D :D

Deep breath and go enjoy your weekend knowing YOU DIDN'T FALL FOR THE SCAM!!!! ;)

[Beth]

I agree that your husband should call to see if he can find out anything about that check from WF. They shouldn't be able to put himon the account without more information from him, but can't hurt to check.

DH says this sounds like an attempt to get your DH clearing checks in a money laundering scheme. I also suspect they were either trying to get info from your bank account (your check back to them for the excess would be all they needed to print checks and clear your account. Youd' get the money back -- eventually. The other possibility is that they are just usinginnocent folks to try to launder money from some other illegal activity.

Do not deposit the check or returm any personal check or other information pof yours to them.

[IndyKF]

Cindy, if it makes you feel any better, I had a similar experience. My company accepted an international order for a piece of equipment we manufacture. We asked for a credit card to charge the equipment before we would ship it. They provided us 2 CC numbers that I ran through and the charges went through fine. The fishy part was they prepaid the freight (about $2,500) and wanted us to wire that money to a specific freight company to pay for the freight. While in the back of my mind, red flags were going off, I just couldn't put my finger on anything. It was Western Union who told me "NO WAY" is this a legit transaction. They were great...and really saved me from getting scammed.

Meanwhile, I did some investigating and found out the banks in which these credit card numbers were stolen. I called the bank to alert them - gave them the card numbers and all. Do you know that they didn't give a rat's as*? Their reply was that when the card holders got their statements they would probably report the charges as fraudulent, but there was nothing else they could do. I said "you won't even contact the card holder to inform them their CC number is being used fraudulently?". Their reply? "No." I was just dumbfounded. :mad:

[cindy47031]

Thanks,

That actually does make me feel better. It stinks that these other people were put at risk, but I feel better that you understand where I'm coming from and how difficult it is for us to try to take care of each other.

Also, the FBI guy that spoke to told me about a website called www.ic3.gov. You can go there and report these types of attempts, and in the event the law ever does piece it together, they will contact you and ask for the evidence. So I am filing away these ugly checks and copies of the emails and hoping some day at least this one bad guy is brought down.

C