Complaint Review: Wells Fargo Bank - Steven Lee - Sanfrancisco, California

Why is this Wells Fargo's fault? If you had deposited a $3500 check from say Aunt Jane, and you spent the money before finding out Aunt Jane didn't have the money to cover the check, you would be in the same boat. For future reference, if you deposit a check, dont spend the money until you know the check you deposited cleared. I learned this back in 70's.

Last year I tried to sell a vehicle on Craigs list. I asked $200 under value. Having a brain I didn't respond to the many many people saying they wanted me to ship the vehicle or those that offered more than blue book if I took a check and gave them money back.

HE MIGHT HELP YOU. Andrew Cuomo is New York's Attorney General. He cares about you, and so do I. Good luck to you, Jeanski. Let me know if you want me to compose a letter to Andrew Cuomo for you. I'd be delighted to help you. Write a letter- you'll feel better!

The same thing just happened to me, but I knew the checks I received were bogus and didn't cash them. You can file a complaint online with the ICC, but I don't know how much good it will do. I had three scammers contact me. Each one used a different method, including the post office. I contact my local postmaster and he said, basically, it's a crime but there's not much they can do about it. I had kept copies of all the checks and emails and was hoping SOMEONE would be interested in pursuing the bad guys. No such luck :-( I guess we're on our own in terms of putting these scammers out of business. Tell everyone you know to avoid this scam like the plague!

This is a classic example of the "Nigerian Scam". It has become so common that Craigslist had to put up a prominent warning regarding these scams in their autos-for-sale section. For the record, here's the link to their warning page: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams I have the utmost sympathy for your situation. The way these scammers operate can literally ruin people and it sickens me to no end. Having said that, the bank is not the bad guy here. The check was deposited and the money pulled out. The bank did what you asked them to do and no bank is going to be left holding the bag when thousands of dollars are at stake. Banks have something in their terms and conditions that say that the account holder is responsible for what is deposited into his or her account. There's a reason for that. Can you imagine what would happen if the banks were responsible for every fraudulent check that is deposited? Unfortunately, since you deposited the check and withdrew the funds, it is on you to repay the money. What really worries me is that your boyfriend was going to "keep the money" from the second check even though you two thought that the money was being laundered. If your boyfriend is willing to keep potentially dirty money, it suggests that he is a person who wants something for nothing and likely to fall for similar scams in the future. I do hope that you can work your way through this. Best of luck to you.

FDIC insurance isn't insurance for the bank. It's insurance for the consumer. If the bank fails then FDIC will guarantee your balance up to $250,000. In this case you were scammed, which is unfortunate, but ultimately it is your responsibility to confirm the validity of funds deposited into your account before you spend them. The fact that you received so much more than you had requested should have been a huge red flag. The request to Western Union the extra money back to the scammer should have been a huge red flag. The request to send back the rest of the balance should have been another huge red flag. The scammer played on your greed and naivete and they got what they wanted. You're left holding the bag, just as the scam intends.