Crime & Safety

West Caldwell Woman Encounters Frustrating Bank Record Blockade: Report

What would you do if you regularly received bank statements for someone who doesn't live at your home?

West Caldwell, NJ - In the world of online financial records, there’s one golden assumption that allows the entire enterprise to exist.

Somewhere, there’s a guiding hand at the end of the tunnel.

But a West Caldwell woman recently found out that finding out the identity of that guiding hand is easier said than done.

Find out what's happening in Caldwellsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

A recent NJ.com report detailed the allegations of Victoria Steele's struggle to find out why she was receiving Wells Fargo bank statements at her West Caldwell address in someone else’s name.

To find out why she was receiving bank statements from someone she didn’t know, Steele embarked on a frustrating crusade during which she reached out to:

Find out what's happening in Caldwellsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • The West Caldwell branch of Wells Fargo
  • The Wells Fargo national customer service line
  • A local post office
  • The West Caldwell Police Department

Here’s what happened, according to NJ.com:

  • Steele brought the statement to the West Caldwell branch, where the manager was unable to contact Jane Doe, but offered to put a "stop" on the statements to her address
  • Steele was then referred to the bank’s customer service line, as the manager told her the account can't be closed, nor could her address be removed without the accountholder's say so
  • A customer service rep allegedly “suppressed the statements” coming to Steele’s home, but the statements continued to arrive
  • An alert was placed on Jane Doe’s account, but bank workers said that since she mainly uses the ATM, finding her at a teller window would be unlikely
  • After a bank manager and the local post office allegedly told Steele that they would need a police report prior to further action, Steele visited the West Caldwell police department, where an officer reportedly told her that that there was nothing they can do because “simply using another person's address is not illegal” (without intent to commit fraud)

Read the full report and story here.

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

File Photo: Flickr Commons

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