Beware: Scam Call Using Wells Fargo’s Real Phone Number (spoofed)(Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX)
I got a scam call today that appeared to come from the Wells Fargo phone number listed on Google for the Greenville Ave branch in Dallas.
The caller claimed he was from Wells Fargo’s fraud department and said there were two fraudulent credit card transactions on my account - one for $1,500 and another for $3,500. He asked if I authorized them. I said no.
He then gave me a “transaction code” and two “cancellation codes,” saying he would transfer me to the cancellation department so they could stop the transactions.
That’s when I was transferred to a woman who claimed she was from Zelle. One of the first red flags was that she kept pronouncing Zelle as “Zee-lee.”
She told me I needed to manually cancel the transaction and asked me to open my Wells Fargo app. I told her I only have a Wells Fargo credit card, not a checking account. She then asked if I use Zelle through another bank. I said yes, through Bank of America.
This is where it got really suspicious. She instructed me to:
- Open my Bank of America app.
- Go to Zelle.
- Add a new recipient.
- She said I’d receive a verification code but not to tell it to her.
- Then she told me to send money to that recipient using the “cancellation code” 00034437.
At that point I said, “Bullshit. I’m not stupid.”
I told her the only reason I’d stayed on the call was because it looked like Wells Fargo had called me directly and transferred me to her. She kept insisting that sending the money was how the transaction would be canceled. I refused and said I’d rather go to the bank in person and call Bank of America myself.
She even offered to transfer me to a Bank of America manager, but I firmly said no. By then she sounded desperate and was practically shouting, trying to get me to complete the transfer. I hung up.
Right after the call, I dialed the same Wells Fargo number that had called me and spoke with a real banker. He told me they’ve received a lot of calls today from customers reporting the exact same scam.
These scammers are getting smarter. They can spoof legitimate phone numbers, so don’t trust caller ID alone. If you get a call like this, hang up and call your bank using the number on the back of your card or from the bank’s official website.
Stay safe out there.