It’s been widely reported that Wells Fargo engaged in a scam where upper management instructed lower-level employees to open fake customer accounts – credit card accounts and extra unneeded bank accounts.
We believe that many, if not most, of the employees who suffered through this experience have a legitimate case against Wells Fargo.
Most employees were very uncomfortable creating these scam accounts but they were told they had to open them. The pressure came in several ways: some managers just instructed employees to open additional accounts; some managers were more subtle and suggested that Employee Jane should really be opening as many accounts as employee John, who was known to be opening fake accounts. Some managers simply told employees to get their numbers up by doing whatever was necessary.
Employees, whether they succumbed to the pressure and opened fake accounts or not, all got hurt. Some went ahead and opened the accounts, but felt terrible; others refused and got fired; others refused but got demoted, or passed over, or received lesser salaries or commissions.
Finally, in an amazing display of corporate arrogance and cynicism, when Wells got caught, they blamed the lower level employees – who had just been carrying out instructions — and conducted a mass firing.
Getting justice for people who have been subjected to this kind of treatment is the reason that Reed, Hallie and I started Aiman-Smith & Marcy. If you have been mistreated by any employer, including Wells Fargo, we’d be privileged to talk to you about your rights, and remember, a consultation is free.
Aiman-Smith & Marcy is a boutique plaintiffs’ law firm based in Oakland, California. Our attorneys specialize in representing employees and consumers in individual and class action lawsuits for wrongful termination, discrimination, misclassification as a temporary worker, and for failure to pay wages, including overtime, meal and rest breaks, and failure to reimburse for expenses as required by law or agreement.