A Bucks County, Pennsylvania, woman spent seven months fighting to get more than $4,000 in unauthorized withdrawals reversed — and only made progress after contacting CBS News Philadelphia’s In Your Corner.
Vicki Duffy, of New Hope, said she first noticed dozens of withdrawals from her Wells Fargo checking account last April, totaling more than $4,200. The transactions were made through a money transfer company she says she has never used.
“I was really upset. I had called the bank immediately to report it,” Duffy said.
She filed a police report and disputed the charges as fraud. About a month later, Wells Fargo denied her claim. She appealed, and the bank denied her again.
Determined to keep fighting, Duffy even wrote a letter to the chairman of the board at Wells Fargo. Still, she received the same response: The bank would “investigate” and get back to her.
“It was very frustrating,” she said. “They kept saying, ‘You approved it.'”
After months without progress, Duffy contacted In Your Corner. Shortly after CBS News Philadelphia contacted Wells Fargo, Duffy said, the bank told her it would reopen the case. Seven months after the charges first appeared, her money was returned.
A Wells Fargo spokesperson declined to comment when asked why the bank reversed its decision. Duffy later received a letter from the money transfer company involved in the withdrawals stating it had determined the transactions were fraudulent.
What to do if your fraud dispute is denied
Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate, said consumers have more options than they may realize when a bank rejects their claim.
“You definitely want to be your own advocate,” Rossman said.
According to Rossman, consumers should:
Ask the bank to review the case again.Request an explanation of how the decision was made.File a complaint with their state attorney general.Submit a complaint to federal regulators at HelpWithMyBank.gov.
“Unfortunately, it might take multiple rounds of calls and emails, especially the larger the transaction size,” Rossman said.
Duffy said persistence made the difference in her case.
“I learned a long time ago, never take no for an answer,” she said.
Act fast if you spot fraudulent activity
Consumers typically have a limited window to dispute unauthorized transactions. For debit cards, liability can increase significantly if fraud isn’t reported within 48 hours.
Experts recommend checking bank and credit card statements regularly so fraudulent activity can be caught and reported quickly.
With Duffy’s recovered funds, In Your Corner has now helped viewers recover more than $166,000 in money, goods or services since the initiative launched last year.
Looking for help with a consumer issue? Click here to submit your complaint to In Your Corner.