Wells Fargo Makes Unsolicited Cell Phone Calls to Wrong Person, Says Lawsuit

Wells Fargo is facing a new lawsuit alleging the bank placed numerous unsolicited cell phone calls to the claimant in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

The TCPA lawsuit was filed by a woman from Texas alleging she received unsolicited cell phone calls from the bank regarding a Wells Fargo mortgage belonging to a different person.

Plaintiff Angela G. says she has received the unsolicited cell phone calls from the bank for over two years, with each call reportedly asking for a “Chris Pendle,” “Chris Pendola,” or similar names.

Each of the unsolicited cell phone calls allegedly pertained to a Wells Fargo mortgage loan account that does not belong to Angela, she says, nor does she know anyone by the name of the person referenced by the bank.

In addition, Angela reports that she has never been a customer of Wells Fargo and has never taken out a Wells Fargo mortgage. The lawsuit contends that this means that Angela never gave Wells Fargo permission to contact her in any way.

According to the TCPA lawsuit, Angela had asked to be placed on the bank’s do-not-call list on Feb. 6, 2008, but started receiving calls about the Wells Fargo mortgage in 2016.

She says that when she first started receiving the unsolicited cell phone calls, she informed the Wells Fargo mortgage representative that she was not the person they were trying call and asked for the communications to cease.

Even though Angela should have been placed back on Wells Fargo’s do-not-call registry, contends the lawsuit, the bank reportedly continued to barrage her with unwanted cell phone calls.

In addition to explicitly asking for the unsolicited cell phone calls to stop, Angela says she also received spam emails regarding the alleged Wells Fargo mortgage payment. Angela says she responded by emailing the sender, stating her contact information should not be used by the bank to contact her this way either.

Even though Angela says she has repeatedly asked for the unsolicited cell phone calls to stop, she says she continues to receive them and has been forced to resort to legal action.

Overview of TCPA Policy

The TCPA was enacted by Congress in the early 1990s to help protect consumers against aggressive telemarketers.

One of the law’s most important rules is for companies to keep a do-not-call registry of customers who have asked not to be contacted. Companies then must respect the request for the next five years, which includes not contacting them by phone or text.

Another one of the TCPA’s most well known rules surrounds the use of automated dialing systems, which are used to generate random phone numbers and place calls to them. While the use of automated dialing systems is common, companies must have prior express consent from the consumer before using the device to contact them.

Angela’s TCPA lawsuit alleges Wells Fargo most likely used an automated dialing system based on the frequency of the unsolicited cell phone calls. Angela’s TCPA lawsuit is seeking damages for all unsolicited cell phone calls, which can be up to $1,500 per violation.

This lawsuit joins a growing list of complaints lodged against the bank in recent years, including the notorious fake bank account scandal.

This TCPA Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-06997, in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, San Francisco Division.

Join a Free Wells Fargo Unwanted Cell Phone Calls Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you received an unwanted cell phone call from Wells Fargo, even though you have no prior affiliation with that bank, you may qualify to join a Wells Fargo unwanted cell phone calls class action investigation. Some of the topics of the unwanted Wells Fargo calls may include:

• Auto Loans
• Home Loans
• Student Loans
• Checking Accounts
• Savings Accounts

Learn More