A Bay Area man tried to pay his taxes, but his check never made it to the IRS. Years later, the truth comes out — with documents detailing how the fraud was manipulated through a Wells Fargo ATM. But despite an investigation proving he was the victim of a crime, the bank refused to reimburse him.
“I really felt Wells Fargo was complicit in this theft of my money,” said Jeff Yates, a resident of San Jose who’s out more than $6,500 from the situation. “How many other victims are out there?”
7 On Your Side investigates how it happened and the lack of accountability that followed.
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Like any law-abiding citizen, Yates paid his taxes with a check addressed to the Internal Revenue Service for $3,268. It was mailed in an envelope, with proper postage, in April of 2022.
“Unbeknownst to me, the IRS never received my check,” Yates said.
According to his Wells Fargo bank statement, the check was cashed. But it wasn’t until a year later, during the next tax season, that he realized the check ended up in the wrong hands. Yates was eligible for a refund, but the IRS wasn’t issuing it, claiming he never paid his taxes from the previous year.