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Update:
- A Seattle resident who filed a class action lawsuit alleging Wells Fargo and Zelle fail to protect customers from scammers who use Zelle’s mobile payment app has dropped his claims.
- Plaintiff Luke Hartsock filed a notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice June 28 in a Washington federal court.
- The reasoning behind his withdrawal was not outlined in the notice.
- The case alleged that Wells Fargo and Early Warning Services LLC, which operates Zelle, fail to take enough actions to protect their banking customers.
- Hartsock said thieves who targeted Wells Fargo bank customers through Zelle scammed him out of $7,500, and that the bank would not reimburse him.
Wells Fargo Zelle class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Wells Fargo and Zelle have been hit with a class action by a customer who says he was scammed out of $7,500.
- Why: The plaintiff says he was scammed by thieves targeting Wells Fargo customers through Zelle.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Washington federal court.
(June 3, 2022)
Wells Fargo and Zelle fail to protect customers from scammers who use Zelle’s mobile payment app to steal from the bank’s customers’ accounts, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Luke Hartsock filed the class action lawsuit against the two financial giants June 1 in a Washington federal court, alleging negligence and violations of consumer protection laws.
According to the lawsuit, thieves who target Wells Fargo bank customers through Zelle scammed Hartsock out of $7,500.
On two occasions, Hartsock says a con mimicked Wells Fargo’s identity and the texts and phone calls that the bank uses to communicate with customers in cases of fraud. The scammer even mimicked a Wells Fargo customer service agent, asking him to send money, he says..
Hartsock disputed the transactions with Wells Fargo, but the bank initially refused to reimburse him, he says in the class action. Wells Fargo eventually credited $3,500 to his account, but Hartsock says he is still seeking the additional $4,000.
Wells Fargo, Zelle aware of widespread fraud, class action claims
According to the lawsuit, Wells Fargo and Early Warning Services LLC, which operates Zelle, fail to take enough actions to protect their banking customers.
He says the companies are aware of the widespread fraud and that Zelle is vulnerable to scammers but aren’t willing to invest in further protections.
“The immediacy of Zelle’s service has made it a favorite primarily among consumers, but that has made it a favorite among criminals, who can access bank accounts directly,” the class action lawsuit says. “Once scammers can scare or trick their victims into sending money via Zelle, they can siphon away thousands of dollars in seconds.”
The lawsuit is suing for negligence and violations of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and the Washington Consumer Protection Act.
Hartsock seeks certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial. He wants to represent all Wells Fargo account holders who have unresolved disputed withdrawals from using Zelle.
Meanwhile, a consumer hit Navy Federal Credit Union with a class action lawsuit alleging it fails to properly inform its account holders that they will not be reimbursed for any financial losses caused by fraud on Zelle.
If you are a Wells Fargo customer and you have been charged an overdraft fee on a debit card purchase within the last year, you may qualify to join a Wells Fargo overdraft fee arbitration action (links to paid attorney content).
Have you been scammed through Zelle? Let us know your experience in the comments!
Hartsock is represented by Laura R. Gerber and Nathan L. Nanfelt of Keller Rohrback LLP.
The Wells Fargo Zelle Class Action Lawsuit is Luke Hartsock v. Wells Fargo & Co. et al., Case No. 2:22-cv-00759, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
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59 thoughts onWells Fargo class action over Zelle fraud dropped
I was scammed through Zelle, I contacted Wells Fargo, told them I was scammed, I even have screenshots of them admitting I was never going to receive anything and Wells Fargo did absolutely nothing!! Please add me!!
Just spoke to wellsfargo, 4 department all passing along my call they are so guilty you can tell they had a 5 point slide meeting as what to sat to the customers.
Add me plez.
add me please
Been a account holder since 2017 and I’ve had this exact problem loosing $5,000 and they say they can’t do anything please add me
Add me please
i recently was part of an attempted scam from zelle but did not send them anything luckily.
I have had Wells Fargo for over 20yrs. I use Zelle all the time. Add me
I was scammed through zelle at wells fargo,500.00,when i was a customer,they never reimbursed me,told me they couldnt see where the scam came from
I have been tricked into making zelle transactions losing $2000.00 and my bank will not reimburse despite opening 4 disputes with them. They said they will not take liability for my loss. It’s been months of an ongoing battle with them. I even had them remove zelle from my mobile banking app. Since I heard nothing of zelle before the scam. The bank does nothing to protect customers.