Fries V Well Fargo
Fries V Well Fargo
 1          4.     Plaintiffs are informed and believes, and based upon this information and belief
 2   alleges, that each Defendant is, and at all relevant times was, the agent, servant, employee,
 3   and/or co-conspirator of the other Defendants, and that each defendant and unnamed co-
 4   conspirator was acting within the course and scope of his or its authority as the agent,
 5   servant, employee, and/or co-conspirator of the other Defendants; that each Defendant is
 6   jointly and severally liable to Complainant for the damages sustained as a proximate result of
 7   his or its conduct and that each and every act or omission of any defendant herein was
 8   ratified, expressly and/or impliedly, by each of the other Defendants herein. Therefore,
 9   Defendants refers to all Defendants in this complaint, named or unnamed, collectively, as
10   “Defendants.”
11
12    WELLS FARGO SECURITY PROCEDURES’ AND AGREEMENT TO CONFIRM
13               “AUTHENTICITY” OF WIRE TRANSFER PAYMENT ORDERS
14          5.     Plaintiff Fries established a banking relationship with Defendant WELLS
15   FARGO BANK (“WF”) in or about 1986. Fries thereafter established her online banking
16   access pursuant to the security procedures in place and set up by WF. From time to time, WF
17   modifies its “Online Access Agreement” (“OAA”) with periodic policy and procedures
18   updates, and posts those updates on its website and/or emails those updates to its customers.
19   The OAA and all of the online updates, detail some of the various security procedures in
20   place and are the agreed upon means by which the authenticity of payment orders (wire
21   transfer requests) issued to the bank in the name of the customer as sender, will be verified.
22   Pursuant to Commercial Code 11202, payment requests deemed “authentic” are “effective”
23   as the payment order of FRIES only if:
24          1) the agreed upon security procedure is a “commercially reasonable” method of
25   providing security against unauthorized payment orders; and
26          2) the bank proves it accepted the payment order in good faith and;
27          3) in compliance with the security procedure.
28
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Case 2:23-cv-07321-SPG-PD Document 15 Filed 11/22/23 Page 3 of 18 Page ID #:159
 1           6.      On or about February 15, 2022, WF posted the OAA which discusses some of
 2   the agreed upon security procedures. The OAA at paragraph 15(c) states that WF would use
 3   the security procedures described in the OAA “and/or additional addenda” and that the
 4   “purpose of the security procedure is to verify the authenticity of a transfer request delivered
 5   to” WF. At paragraph 18(b) the OAA confirms that WF would not be obligated to honor any
 6   transaction if it had “reason to believe” any such transaction “may not be authorized” by the
 7   customer whose authorization was necessary or if it was “not in accordance with any other
 8   requirement of our policies, procedures or practices” or if WF had “other reasonable cause
 9   not to honor” the requested transaction. FRIES uses WF’s online platform, and therefore,
10   agreed to these security procedures in the OAA and as amended/supplemented from time to
11   time.
12           7.      WF has at least three known security procedures in place to confirm a wire
13   transfer payment order is authentic and therefore “effective” as the order of its customer:/1
14           1) WF will restrict the amount of money its customers can send online via a wire
15   transfer payment order. WF specifically informs its customers in writing: “To request hire
16   limits for online wires, please visit your local branch.” As discussed below, anything above
17   $50,000.00 is above the online wire transfer limit.
18           2) Wire transfer payment orders exceeding $50,000.00 will require a “secondary
19   review” that will take 24-48 hours to complete before the funds will be sent to the designated
20   recipient bank.
21           3) A more general security procedure used by WF on telephone conferences with
22   customers is commonly known as “two factor authentication” (“2FA”) in conjunction with
23   security questions (the “2FA/security question procedure”). On this procedure, and during a
24   phone call with a customer, WF sends a text message to the customer’s cell phone and/or
25   email address with a numeric code. The customer is then required to read back that numeric
26
27     1/
         There may be other WF security procedures in place and once the deposition of WF is taken, those additional
       procedures will be revealed and a determination made as to whether any of those other procedures were
28     violated along with the violations described in this complaint.
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Case 2:23-cv-07321-SPG-PD Document 15 Filed 11/22/23 Page 4 of 18 Page ID #:160
 1   code to confirm the person is in fact, the WF customer they are purporting to be. After the
 2   code is confirmed, security questions are required to be asked by the WF representative, to
 3   which only the actual customer will have the answers. WF will not complete transactions
 4   until the “2FA/security question” procedure is successfully completed.
 5
 6    THE FRAUDULENT OCTOBER 24, 2022 WIRE TRANSFER PAYMENT ORDER
 7          8.     On October 24, 2022, at 1:10 p.m. FRIES placed a call to a WF “premier
 8   banker” who works out of the Hollywood branch, (“WF Advisor 1"). This person’s direct
 9   WF’ office line is 323-745-3096. FRIES told WF Advisor 1 during this four minute call the
10   she (FRIES) would not be able to move forward with certain investments WF Advisor 1 had
11   recently pitched. Upon hearing this, WF Advisor 1 expressed her disappointment and told
12   FRIES that she had been working with two other WF associates (WF Advisor 2 and WF
13   Advisor 3) and that the proposed investments should be pursued. FRIES again stated she
14   was not interested in moving forward with any investments. After this brief four minute call
15   ended, Ms. FRIES could hear WF Advisor 1 express her frustration to an unknown person
16   and stated “I’m so sick of this.”
17          9. Nine minutes after the call with WF Advisor 1 ended, at 1:23 p.m., FRIES
18   received a phone call from an individual purporting to be a WF representative (“the WF
19   Fraudster”). The fact that FRIES received a call from the WF fraudster just minutes after
20   concluding her call with WF Advisor 1, proves either: 1) the WF fraudster is affiliated with
21   or somehow connected to, WF and/or WF Advisor 1; or 2) it’s one of the biggest
22   coincidences in bank/wire fraud history. The “caller i.d.” on FRIES’ cell phone stated the
23   call was coming from WF and listed the caller i.d. number as 800-225-5935 – which is an
24   actual WF number as evidenced by the WF web site:
25
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 8          The call by FRIES to WF Advisor 1 and the incoming call nine minutes later from the
 9   WF Fraudster to FRIES, are both confirmed in FRIES’s cell phone bill:
10
11
12
13   The WF Fraudster told FRIES that her account had potentially been compromised and was
14   exposed to fraudulent activity. The WF Fraudster sent a 2FA text to FRIES and told FRIES
15   to read back the code so that FRIES could be verified as the actual customer. Because this
16   exact scenario had played out numerous times before with a genuine WF representatives,
17   FRIES had no reason to believe this 2FA scenario was any different or was in any manner,
18   suspicious. FRIES received the code and read it back to the WF caller. FRIES spent the
19   majority of this 60 minute phone call initiated by the WF Caller, on hold.
20          10.    While on the phone with the WF caller, FRIES drove to a WF Santa Clarita
21   branch to find out the status of her account. She was told by a WF employee (“Walter”) to
22   hang up her cell phone because it sounded like a scam. Walter told FRIES that funds were in
23   the process of being wired out of her account (“the fraudulent wire transfer.”) FRIES called
24   the WF customer service line from the Santa Clarita branch phone as instructed by Walter.
25   FRIES confirmed on this call, that she did not initiate nor authorize nor approve the wire
26   transfer and that it needed to be recalled. FRIES was transferred to a WF representative
27   named “Chavi” who confirmed the wire was recalled and gave FRIES a confirmation
28   number. Chavi confirmed that the entire $100,000.00 would be back in FRIES’ account
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1 within 1-2 business days. The next day on October 25, 2022, FRIES contacted WF to check
2 status of her account and when she could expect to receive the return of her $100,000.00.
3 She was now told the wire was not recalled and that her money was sent to “Savage Car
4 Wash” in Miami, Florida. After many conversations with different levels and departments,
5 FRIES explained again and again, over and over, that she did not approve the wire and that
6 she had a confirmation number for the recall. FRIES went to her local branch in Hollywood
7 and again restated what occurred. On October 26, 2022, WF Advisor 1 sent an email to
8 FRIES wherein WF Advisor 1 admitted the in-house WF investigator “is aware of this well-
9 known scam.”
10 11. For days, weeks and months thereafter, FRIES embarked on a futile attempt to
11 get her money back – endless phone calls and in person appearances at WF’ branch offices.
12 WF told FRIES that unless she admitted in writing that she “authorized” the fraudulent
13 $100,000.00 wire transfer, WF would not assist her in getting her money back. There was
14 exactly zero legitimate or necessary reason for FRIES to make that false representation urged
15 by WF, which was clearly an attempt by WF to shift liability from itself to FRIES. WF
16 eventually sent an email to FRIES that it “regretted” any WF’ “unsatisfactory service” and
17 informed FRIES she would be receiving a “courtesy” credit to her account in the amount of
18 $50.00 – which is $99,950.00 short of the $100,000.00 stolen out of her account as a direct
22 12. An October 24, 2022 phone call to WF that enabled the WF fraudster to induce
23 WF to wire $100,000.00 from the FRIES account, was recorded by WF (“the wire fraud
24 recording”). After this action was filed, FRIES obtained a copy of the wire fraud recording
25 in which the conversation between the WF fraudster and the WF representative can be heard.
26 The identity of the WF representative on this phone call cannot be ascertained at this time so
27 he will be referred to as the “WF Mark.” All WF security procedures were completely
28 disregarded, ditched and thrown out the window by this utterly incompetent, WF employee.
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1 13. The fraudulent wire transfer payment order was not an “authentic” or
3 1) it was not in compliance with the WF security procedures for wire transfers;
5 3) the wire transfer procedures used on this transaction were not “commercially
6 reasonable.”
7 Therefore and because the fraudulent wire payment order is “not effective” as the
8 order of FRIES, she is entitled to a full refund of the $100,000.00 fraudulent wire transfer
10
11                                      FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
16 in full.
17 15. WF internal documents obtained after this action was filed, and the wire fraud
18 recording itself, confirm the following time line of events occurred in the afternoon of
20 1) 1:24:30 the password to the FRIES online account was changed [by the WF
21 fraudster].
23 3) 1:27:30 [the WF fraudster] enrolled the FRIES account into a wire transfer program
25 4) 1:31:11 [the WF fraudster] added a “wire payee” and attempted to wire from the
27 5) 1:47:08: on a telephone call for the next 9 minutes and 44 seconds wherein nothing
28 but superficial questions were asked by the WF Mark, the WF fraudster duped the WF Mark
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 1   into wire transferring $100,000.00 out of the FRIES account to Savage Car Wash where
 2   those funds would never be seen again. FRIES has zero connection to Savage Car Wash and
 3   does not know any person affiliated with that business.
 4          16.    One of the security procedures implemented by WF is to reject online wire
 5   transfer requests from its customers if that request exceed a certain amount. The WF Mark
 6   confirmed in the wire fraud recording, the maximum online wire transfer request WF would
 7   accept, was $50,000.00. His statement on the wire fraud recording is consistent with the
 8   OAA as supplemented and amended on the WF website which specifically states: “For your
 9   security, we restrict the amount of money you can send recipients online....To request
10   hire limits for online wires, please visit your local branch.” The WF Mark further told the
11   WF fraudster that the $100,000.00 online wire request was “an unusual amount of money”
12   and that is why the FRIES account “had been flagged” and that any attempted transfer above
13   $50,000.00 required a “second review” and that a delay of 24-48 hours could occur before
14   the wire was sent.
15          17.    The wire fraud recording conclusively proves the WF Mark violated
16   all three security procedures implemented by WF and described in paragraph 7 above:
17   The WF Mark was fully aware of the WF time line set forth above in paragraph 15 during his
18   phone call with the WF fraudster and therefore, was fully aware the FRIES online password
19   had just been changed (indeed, the WF Mark actually asked the WF fraudster if the password
20   had just been changed); the FRIES “basic wire” ability had just been added and a new wire
21   payee had just been added to the account as well. Incredibly, and despite all of these clear
22   and unmistakable red flags, the WF Mark, in absolute and utter disregard of all known WF
23   security procedures, told the WF fraudster: “But no worries I’m going to release this wire
24   transfer transaction and transfer it today.” He then stated: “I’m going to go ahead and
25   authorize this transaction and have this released so that you, you or your brother will be able
26   to receive it...” Seconds later the WF Mark stated: “I would like to let you know that I
27   already released the $100,000.00 on the wire that you initiated earlier.” And just like
28   that, in a span of minutes, the funds were in fact released – in clear violation of all three
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Case 2:23-cv-07321-SPG-PD Document 15 Filed 11/22/23 Page 9 of 18 Page ID #:165
 1   known WF security procedures: 1) the second review that should have taken 24-48 hours was
 2   not implemented; 2) requiring FRIES to visit in person, her local branch was not
 3   implemented; 3) security questions were not asked as part of the 2FA/security question
 4   procedure: after the 2FA code was sent to the WF fraudster, an unknown voice can be heard
 5   in the background reading the 2FA code to the WF fraudster who then repeated it to the WF
 6   Mark – a massive red flag that the WF Mark failed to detect. Furthermore, the “security”
 7   questions asked by the WF Mark were absurd because he failed to ask any questions to which
 8   only FRIES would have known the answer. Instead, the WF Mark asked childish questions
 9   like: “Is your name Alice M Fries? “Can you tell me to whom are you sending the funds to?”
10   And “you are sending the funds directly to Savage Car Wash?” and “Do you share your
11   device with anyone?” Detailed personal questions about FRIES, not even a basic security
12   rudimentary question like “what is your social security number” were ever asked.
13          18.    Within minutes of the $100,000.00 fraudulent transfer payment order, FRIES
14   realized what was happening and demanded WF cancel all wire transfers. If the WF Mark
15   had complied with the WF security procedures, that $100,000.00 wire would have been
16   cancelled and the funds never would have been sent. WF’s absolute and clear violations of
17   its security procedures allowed the fraudulent wire transfer to occur and directly caused
18   Plaintiff’s damages. The above recited sequence of events can be confirmed from the wire
19   transfer recordings, and WF’s own internally generated “OTP History/Online Challenge” it
20   produced after this action was filed (See below and attachment Exhibit A):
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 12          19.    When the WF Mark approved the fraudulent wire transfer payment order of
 13   $100,000.00 from the FRIES account, that payment order was not “authentic” and was not
 14   effective as a payment order from FRIES because WF did not comply with its own security
 15   procedures, in violation of California Commercial Code, section 11202(b)(ii), to wit: the WF
 16   Mark failed to reject the WF transfer payment order pending a “second review” for transfers
 17   exceeding $50,000.00 and he failed to require FRIES to visit a local branch before the
 18   transfer would be sent and he failed to implement properly, the security question/2FA
 19   procedure.
 20          20.    Per the express terms of Section 11202(b)(ii), WF has the burden to prove it
 21   complied with its agreed upon security procedures; based on the foregoing, it will be unable
 22   to do so. Therefore, the fraudulent payment order was not effective as to FRIES per
 23   Commercial Code 11202(b)(ii) and Fries is entitled to general damages, which includes but is
 24   not limited to, the full amount of the of the fraudulent wire transfer in the amount of
 25   $100,000.00 plus pre-judgment interest pursuant to Commercial Code 11204(a).
 26
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  1   wire transfer at issue in this complaint, was not “commercially reasonable.” The security
  2   procedure used by WF on this particular transaction consisted of ditching the “second
  3   review” for wire transfers exceeding $50,000.00; ditching the “in person” requirement for
  4   wire transfers exceeding $50,000.00; and ditching the security question prong of the 2FA/
  5   security question procedure. Instead, the security procedure used by WF in this transaction
  6   (and not agreed to by FRIES) consisted of the pathetic and worthless nine minute telephone
  7   conference with the WF Mark described herein. The procedure actually implemented on this
  8   transaction, therefore, was not a commercially reasonable security procedure to authenticate
  9   the payment order, in violation of Commercial Code Section 11202(c) – especially given the
 10   fact that FRIES had never before initiated a wire transfer, let alone a transfer for
 11   $100,000.00, and given the fact that her password had been tampered with and changed
 12   minutes before the request was initiated, and that wire transfer capability had just been
 13   added. The “security procedure” actually used by WF on this particular transaction was per
 14   se, commercially unreasonable.
 15          26.    Per the express terms of Section 11202(b)(ii), WF has the burden to prove it
 16   complied with its agreed upon security procedures and acted in good faith and that its
 17   security was commercially reasonable; based on the foregoing, it will be unable to do so.
 18   Therefore, the fraudulent payment order was not effective as to FRIES per Commercial Code
 19   11202(b)(ii) and Fries is entitled to general damages, which includes but is not limited to, the
 20   full amount of the of the fraudulent wire transfer in the amount of $100,000.00 plus pre-
 21   judgment interest pursuant to Commercial Code 11204(a).
 22
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 25
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 27   //
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  1   objective measure. And this exact same con-game is repeated over and over again all over the
  2   country and WF does absolutely, positively nothing to even try and stop it.
  3              29.   Per the express terms of Section 11202(b)(ii) WF has the burden to prove the
  4   2FA/security question system is commercially reasonable; based on the foregoing, it will be
  5   unable to do so. Therefore, the fraudulent payment order was not effective as to FRIES per
  6   Commercial Code 11202(b)(ii) and Fries is entitled to general damages, which includes but is
  7   not limited to, the full amount of the of the fraudulent wire transfer in the amount of
  8   $100,000.00 plus pre-judgment interest pursuant to Commercial Code 11204(a).
  9
 10                                     FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION
 11                             (Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
 12                                Against Wells Fargo and DOES 2-20)
 13              30.   Plaintiff incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 29 as though set forth
 14   in full.
 15              31.   Within minutes of becoming apprised of the wire transfer fraud, FRIES spoke
 16   to several WF employees on telephone calls in a desperate attempt to try and stop it. After
 17   this action was filed, WF produced some of those recorded telephone calls and some of them
 18   are described and summarized in this fifth cause of action. On one of these calls with WF
 19   “Employee 1" FRIES was placed on hold. While FRIES was on hold, WF Employee 1 made
 20   a separate (recorded) call to WF Employee 2 whom later identified himself as “Chavi.” This
 21   WF recording revealed that the two WF employees discussed the FRIES wire fraud situation
 22   and the fact that the $100,000.00 wire had “already gone through.” While FRIES was still on
 23   hold, the two WF employees discussed the fact that any successful attempt to recall the wire
 24   could not be guaranteed and that whether or not the wire could be successfully recalled was
 25   subject to an “online wire case” process that could take up to 120 days to complete.
 26              32.   Eventually, FRIES was added to the call between the two WF employees.
 27   Employee 1 left the call, leaving just FRIES and Employee 2 (Chavi) on the call. Despite
 28   knowing full well that it was probably too late to recall the wire and that the recall process
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  1   would take up 120 days to complete before anyone knew if the funds would be returned or
  2   not, Chavi affirmatively lied to FRIES and told her that wire transfer had been “stopped” and
  3   that he “stopped the wire” and that the funds would be back in her account and that she
  4   should check her online access to view the returned funds. FRIES was given a confirmation
  5   “wire stop” number of 0117845909 and told by Chavi that he was “sure the wire was not
  6   going to go through.” When Chavi made these false statements on behalf of WF to FRIES
  7   that the wire had been “stopped” and that he was “sure the wire was not going to go through”
  8   he knew they were false because he and Employee 1 had just discussed the fact it would take
  9   up to 120 days and for the recall process to complete and it was entirely unknown if the wire
 10   could be successfully recalled or not.
 11          33.    Upon hearing the “good news” from Chavi that the wire had been successfully
 12   “stopped” and that the money would be back in her account in another day or so, FRIES was
 13   extremely relieved and felt like the entire day had been a bad, horrific nightmare.
 14          34.    As instructed by Chavi, FRIES checked her online account for the next couple
 15   days desperately looking for the return of her money; but it never appeared. She called WF
 16   yet again and was now told by yet another WF employee that the wire was not recalled and
 17   her money was gone. Upon hearing this news, FRIES was devastated, shocked and felt
 18   extreme, substantial and severe emotional distress after having been assured by Chavi that
 19   she would receive her money back in one or two days, and was now hearing from a different
 20   WF employee days later, the exact opposite.
 21          35.    WF’s conduct in knowingly and intentionally lying to FRIES and falsely telling
 22   her that she would receive her money back in one or two days, knowing full well that was not
 23   going to happen, was extreme, outrageous and beyond the bounds of decency.
 24          36.    As if the foregoing was not bad enough, WF thereafter conditioned its
 25   assistance in getting her money back, only if FRIES first admitted in writing that she
 26   “authorized” the fraudulent $100,000.00 wire transfer. This was obviously done by WF to
 27   shield itself from its own actions, misconduct and liability. WF’s demands that FRIES admit
 28   she authorized or verified the theft before it would even try to help her retrieve her funds –
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  1   knowing full well the funds were stolen from her – was further outrageous and intentional
  2   misconduct that it exceeds all bounds of decency in a civilized community.
  3          37.    WF’s misconduct, first in lying to FRIES about the return of her money and
  4   then its coercive outrageous demand that she admit in writing that she authorized the wire
  5   transfer as a pre-condition to WF’s assistance, are all are acts of misconduct outside the
  6   scope of the Commercial Code 11101 et. seq. and (UCC §4A-202)] and therefore, this cause
  7   of action is not displaced by these statutes as confirmed in Zengen, Inc. v Comerica Bank 41
  8   Cal.4th 239 (2007).
  9          38.    WF’s intentional misconduct as described herein, was outrageous and beyond
 10   the bounds of decency, oppressive, malicious and fraudulent thereby entitling Plaintiff to an
 11   award of general and punitive damages in amounts be determined at trial.
 12
 13   Plaintiff Prays:
 14   ON THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH CAUSES OF ACTION:
 15   1.     For general and special damages in an amount to be proven at trial in an amount of not
 16   less than $100,000.00, plus prejudgment interest.
 17   ON THE FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION:
 18   2.     For general and special damages in an amount to be proven at trial in an amount of not
 19   less than $100,000.00.
 20   3.     For punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
 21   ON ALL CAUSES OF ACTION
 22   4.     For costs of suit incurred herein;
 23   5.     For attorneys’ fees permitted by law and the OAA.
 24   6.     For such other relief the court deems proper and appropriate;
 25
      DATED: November 22, 2023                         KRISHEL LAW FIRM
 26
                                                        //Daniel Krishel
 27                                               By:_________________________
                                                      DANIEL L. KRISHEL
 28                                                   Attorney for Plaintiff Alice Fries
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