An 83-year-old Texas girl says Wells Fargo left her on the hook for practically $15,000 after fraudsters altered a verify she mailed — and now going to the financial institution induces vomiting and tears.
Billie Younger, a Dallas resident who has been caring for her cancer-stricken husband, wrote two checks in August 2024, in accordance with her household.
One was for her electrical invoice. The opposite, for $14,952.52, was meant to repay her automotive mortgage.
Just one cost reportedly made it the place it was imagined to go.
Whereas the utility invoice was processed usually, the automotive mortgage verify was altered and cashed by an unauthorized get together, draining practically $15,000 from Younger’s Wells Fargo account, her household informed WFAA-TV.
Wells Fargo denied Younger’s fraud declare in Could, citing “premature reporting,” in accordance with correspondence reviewed by the household.
“The declare will stay denied, and we won’t reimburse you for the disputed transactions,” the financial institution reportedly wrote.
The rejection has taken a toll on Younger, in accordance with her household.
“It’s been very unhappy, and extra so to see we will’t get by a financial institution go to with out her vomiting or being in tears,” Younger’s granddaughter, Kecia Byars, informed WFAA-TV.
Younger’s household insists she contacted the financial institution effectively inside the reporting window mandated by Wells Fargo with the intention to submit a declare for reimbursement.
On Sept. 6, Younger referred to as Wells Fargo to ask about each checks — a name she documented in her checkbook, WFAA-TV reported.
A financial institution consultant informed her the electrical invoice verify had not cleared, and Younger requested a cease cost.
She was additionally informed the automotive mortgage verify had cleared.
Based on the household, the rep didn’t inform Younger that the verify had been cashed by somebody apart from the supposed payee.
Believing the mortgage had been paid, Younger took no additional motion.
Later that month, she obtained a invoice from the lender displaying the stability was nonetheless due.
It wasn’t till mid-October, after she obtained a picture of the cashed verify, that the fraud turned clear, the sufferer’s household stated.
The title of the payee had been modified to somebody Younger didn’t know and her signature appeared to have been altered.
Younger filed a fraud declare with Wells Fargo, and her household filed a report with the Dallas Police Division, they stated.
They added that the altered verify was initially rejected by one financial institution as a result of it appeared fraudulent earlier than one other financial institution finally cashed it.
Younger, who had banked with Wells Fargo since 1996, later closed her account.
After WFAA reported the story late final month, viewers nationwide contacted the station with related accounts involving aged kin whose fraud claims had been denied over timing points.
Following a second report earlier this week, Wells Fargo stated it was “re-reviewing” Younger’s case.
Dallas police additionally stated they had been taking one other take a look at the case.
The Publish has sought remark from Wells Fargo.
