FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
December 28, 2018
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Steve Marshall
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
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Alabama Attorney General
Attorney General Steve Marshall Joins 50 States, District of
Columbia, in $575 Million Settlement with Wells Fargo
Agreement resolves state consumer protection claims for alleged unfair and
deceptive trade practices
(MONTGOMERY)–Attorney General Steve Marshall today announced a $575 million
settlement between the 50 states and the District of Columbia and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. to
resolve claims that the bank violated consumer protection laws of Alabama and other states.
Alabama’s portion of $7.9 million will cover attorneys’ fees, given Alabama’s leadership role in
the negotiations, and will assist in funding the consumer protection efforts of the Attorney
General’s Office.
The settlement resolves claims that Wells Fargo violated these laws by (1) opening millions of
unauthorized accounts and enrolling customers into online banking services without their
knowledge or consent, (2) improperly referring customers for enrollment in third-party renters
and life insurance policies, (3) improperly charging auto loan customers for force-placed and
unnecessary collateral protection insurance, (4) failing to ensure that customers received
refunds of unearned premiums on certain optional auto finance products, and (5) incorrectly
charging customers for mortgage rate lock extension fees.
Through this settlement, Wells Fargo also will create a consumer redress review program
through which consumers who have not been made whole through other restitution programs
already in place can seek review of their inquiry or complaint by a bank escalation team for
possible relief. To date, this settlement represents the most significant engagement involving a
national bank by state attorneys general acting without a federal law enforcement partner.
Wells Fargo has identified more than 3.5 million accounts where customer accounts were
opened, funds were transferred, credit card applications were filed, and debit cards were issued
without the customers’ knowledge or consent. The bank has also identified 528,000 online bill
pay enrollments nationwide that may have resulted from improper sales practices at the bank.
In addition, Wells Fargo improperly submitted more than 6,500 renters insurance and/or
simplified term life insurance policy applications and payments from customer accounts
without the customers’ knowledge or consent.
The states alleged that Wells Fargo imposed aggressive and unrealistic sales goals on bank
employees and implemented an incentive compensation program where employees could
qualify for credit by selling certain products to customers. The states further alleged that the
bank’s sales goals and the incentive compensation program created an impetus for employees to
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engage in improper sales practices in order to satisfy such sales goals and earn financial
rewards. Those sales goals became increasingly harder to achieve over time, the states alleged,
and employees who failed to meet them faced potential termination and career-hindering
criticism from their supervisors.
The states also alleged that Wells Fargo improperly charged premiums, interest, and fees for
force-placed collateral protection insurance to more than two million auto financing customers,
despite evidence that the customers’ regular auto insurance policy was in effect, and despite
numerous customer complaints about such unnecessary placements. (Many of those customers
may not have suffered financial harm, however, because the policies were cancelled before the
customers paid the charges.) Wells Fargo has agreed to provide remediation of more than $385
million to approximately 850,000 auto finance customers. The remediation will include
payments to over 51,000 customers whose cars were repossessed. The CFPB and OCC are
working to ensure that the auto finance customers are fully remediated by Wells Fargo.
Additionally, the states alleged that Wells Fargo failed to ensure that customers received proper
refunds of unearned portions of optional Guaranteed Asset/Auto Protection (GAP) products
sold as part of motor vehicle financing agreements. As a result, the bank has agreed to provide
refunds totaling more than $37 million to certain auto finance customers.
Finally, the states alleged that Wells Fargo improperly charged residential mortgage loan
consumers for rate lock extension fees even when the delay was caused by Wells Fargo, a
practice contrary to the bank’s policy. Wells Fargo has identified and contacted affected
consumers and has refunded or agreed to refund over $100 million of such fees.
Wells Fargo has previously entered consent orders with federal authorities – including the
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
(CFPB) – related to its alleged conduct. Wells Fargo has committed to or already provided
restitution to consumers in excess of $600 million through its agreements with the OCC and
CFPB as well as through settlement of a related consumer class-action lawsuit and will pay over
$1 billion in civil penalties to the federal government. Additionally, under an order from the
Federal Reserve, the bank is required to strengthen its corporate governance and controls, and
is currently restricted from exceeding its total asset size.
As part of its settlement with the states, Wells Fargo has agreed to implement within 60 days a
program through which consumers who believe they were affected by the bank’s conduct, but
fell outside the prior restitution programs, can contact Wells Fargo to be reviewed for potential
redress. Wells Fargo will create and maintain a website for consumers to use to access the
program and will provide periodic reports to the states about ongoing restitution efforts.
More information on the redress review program, including Wells Fargo escalation phone
numbers and the Wells Fargo dedicated website address for the program will be available on or
before February 26, 2019.
Please click here to view the states’ agreement with Wells Fargo.
