Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I being asked to repurchase fraud accounts?
Pursuant to your contract with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as the merchant, you assume all risk associated with credit card accounts opened through fraud or identity theft. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. assumes all credit risk associated with a genuine contract, including collections, bankruptcy, and probate.
As a retail merchant, what can I do to eliminate our risk of loss due to fraud?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to eliminate all risk of loss due to fraud. However, you can take steps to lessen the risk. Review our fraud prevention best practices (PDF) and discuss them with your staff. Some key recommendations from the list include:

  • Ask all applicants for two forms of identification, preferably with a picture of the ID holder. Make sure the person making the application is the same person whose picture is on the identification.
  • Provide annual training to your staff (plus all new employees shortly after hire) on fraud awareness, including how they should respond to suspicious sales and credit applications.
  • Contact the Wells Fargo Retail Services Fraud Team at 1-800-257-7799 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm Central Time) to alert us of a suspicious credit sale or credit application. We will take steps to verify the identity of the credit applicant and advise you of our findings. Working together helps protect customers from fraud.
What can I do if I'm suspicious of a purchase or application at the point of sale or if my staff suspects a customer is attempting to commit credit fraud in our store using an account issued by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.?
Go through the following steps if anyone in your store suspects fraud.

  • Try to validate all of the customer's information. Ask to see his or her government-issued identification, question his or her age and address, and examine his or her signature.
  • If you think the purchases are odd or do not seem similar to those of a typical customer, ask the customer questions to determine why he or she is in need of the merchandise and the quantities of merchandise. Although we are committed to helping you mitigate losses due to credit fraud, we do not recommend actions that could potentially create a volatile situation at your store. These actions, which may include calling police to apprehend a credit fraud suspect or confronting the suspect on your own, should be addressed in your corporate policy.
  • Contact the Wells Fargo Retail Services Fraud Team at 1-800-257-7799 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm Central Time) if you are still unsure. We will do a verification check of the customer from our office and can speak directly to the customer to try to verify his or her identity if necessary. If you call outside our normal business hours, leave us a voicemail and we will return your call on the next business day.
  • If the sale cannot take place until the identity is verified, advise the customer that Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. has decided to delay approval of the financing for the sale until the identity verification has been completed. This lets the individual know the situation is out of the control of store personnel.


If you become suspicious about a credit application situation, you must first allow the customer to apply for credit in order to assure compliance with the Fair Lending regulations. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. will analyze the applicant's information and credit bureau report. If the application is approved, contact the Wells Fargo Retail Services Fraud Team at 1-800-257-7799 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm Central Time) to advise us of your concerns.
What should I tell a customer if he or she asks to have merchandise delivered or shipped to an address other than his or her home address?
Your contract with us prohibits the delivery of merchandise to any address other than the home address. Tell the customer we don't allow shipping to any other address as a fraud prevention measure.
A customer recently presented an expired driver's license as proof of identification. Due to our store policy, we declined to accept it. What other forms of ID would be acceptable in place of a driver's license?
We support your decision to decline an expired driver's license. We recommend that the person obtain another government issued picture ID if he or she does not have a valid driver's license. You should try to request a picture ID whenever possible, with additional forms of ID being employment cards, credit cards, voter registration cards, utility bills, and so on. We also recommend that you compare the picture ID to a verified government issued ID.
What should my sales team do when a customer applies for credit but declines to provide his or her social security number?
We require personal information in order to make sound business decisions. Although a former victim of identity theft may have a legitimate reason to hesitate at providing personal information such as a social security number, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. requires it in order to obtain a correct credit bureau report. In addition, the USA Patriot Act requires every financial institution to collect four pieces of information, which include name, physical address (of the applicant AND the joint applicant), date of birth, and social security number for each person who opens an account. These requirements are disclosed on the consumer credit applications that customers complete in your store. On the basis of the USA Patriot Act, if the applicant declines to provide his or her social security number, we may decline to process the credit application. If faced with the situation of a customer refusing to provide his or her social security number or any other required information, your sales representative should explain why the information is required in order to proceed with the application.
A customer of ours recently inquired about purchasing six mattresses using their store credit card through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. We were suspicious about this inquiry because of the number of mattresses that were being purchased, and because they insisted on taking them that day. We offered to have them delivered to their home, but they declined. The customer left the store saying they would be back later to make the purchase but never returned. Do you consider this type of sale to be suspicious? What is the best way to handle a situation like this?
We're aware of several similar cases that turned out to be fraudulent. The number of mattresses, together with the customer's request to take them that day, is highly suspicious and should be handled with extreme care. Only in rare circumstances would a customer have a legitimate need for six mattresses. The customer could be attempting to make a purchase for business purposes, but our credit cards can only be used for personal, family or household reasons. If a similar situation happens at your store, contact us at 1-800-257-7799 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm Central Time) so we can verify the customer's identity and get more information about the nature of the purchase.
We recently had a situation in which an elderly customer opened an individual account while being accompanied by another person. The elderly customer seemed very confused about the account and the credit application process, and appeared to be coached or assisted by the other person in completing the application. We know that the customer did sign the credit application and that it was approved, but the customer did not make any purchases using the account that day. We are concerned that the other person might later use the account to make purchases. How should we handle a situation like this?
We have seen several similar cases in which a friend or relative coerced an older individual into opening an account. The merchandise charged to the account went to the other person, but the applicant was stuck with the bill. These are very delicate situations and not easily recognizable. Except for minors, you can't deny a person the right to apply for credit based on age. If it appears that a person of any age applying for credit is obviously confused or does not understand what they're doing, we recommend that you call our Fraud Department at 1-800-257-7799 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm Central Time). We will ask the applicant a series of questions to verify his or her identity. The responses should also tell us if the applicant understands the credit obligation. In addition, be sure to ask for identification to make sure that the name on the card matches the name on the ID. You should also make sure that the merchandise, if being delivered, is going to the customer's address rather than that of a friend or relative.
How often should our company provide fraud prevention training to our staff members?
Ongoing fraud prevention training is an important way to help prevent your business – and your customers – from becoming victims. Consider several factors when determining how often fraud prevention training should be conducted.

  • Location: Merchants with stores in larger cities or cities with higher crime rates should consider fraud prevention training on a regular basis to keep team members aware and engaged in fraud prevention practices.
  • Past incidences of fraud: If you've experienced fraud in your store, we recommend regular training sessions so team members know how to help identify and prevent fraudulent transactions.
  • Retail industry: If you manage a retail business in an industry that tends be a more frequent target of fraud, such as electronics, jewelry, and sporting goods, we recommend more frequent prevention training as well.
  • Employee turnover: We recommend that retailers develop a fraud prevention module as part of their overall new employee training program so associates can be prepared and attentive to the potential fraud flags in their new positions.
Our stores have an increasing number of Hispanic customers. Is there anyone on your fraud team who speaks Spanish?
Yes. We have a bilingual fraud specialist who speaks Spanish and can help you with your Spanish-speaking customers.

Contact us
By phone: 1-800-257-7799, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm Central Time
By email: frauddept@wellsfargo.com