LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – The People of the State of California, through the Los Angeles city attorney, are suing a major bank, alleging it used illegal tactics on customers to maintain a high level of sales.
Los Angeles City Attorney Michael Feuer filed a lawsuit May 4 in Los Angeles Superior Court against Wells Fargo and Co. and Wells Fargo Bank National Association, which removed the case to federal court on June 3.
U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles
The lawsuit alleges the bank put “unrealistic sales quotas on its employees” and, as a result of the strict polices, the employees have engaged in illegal acts in order to meet those goals. The suit alleges managers and bankers have engaged in a practice called “gaming,” which includes “omitting signatures and adding unwanted secondary accounts to primary accounts without permission.”
“Wells Fargo has known about and encouraged these practices for years,” the lawsuit said. “It has done little, if anything, to discourage its employees’ behavior and protect its customers.”
The suit also states employees would sometimes impersonate customers on computer and sign them up for online banking and bill pay without the account holder’s authorization.
The state seeks an injunction against Wells Fargo to prevent the practices from continuing, as well as asking for damages and court costs. In addition to Feuer, the People are represented by: Tina L. Hess, assistant city attorney; Suzanne V. Spillane, deputy city attorney; Jessica B. Brown, deputy city attorney; and Jeremy Berzon, deputy city attorney.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California-Western District case 2:15-cv-04181
