153 Comments
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Safir Ahmed's avatar

Billions in fines mean nothing to these corporate criminals. Charging the individuals, prosecuting them, convicting them, and locking them up would put the fear of God in them.

That's the only deterrent that has any chance of working to stem the tide of criminality in the C-suites.

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Chris Drzewiecki's avatar

100%. We need to start putting executives in prison for 5-10 years at a crack before they even can get parole. Then people will actually have an incentive to follow the law. Until then, nothing will change.

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ResistWeMuch's avatar

if they stop, the govt wont get its cut. thats why they dont go to jail.

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

And, pass some laws to seize assets.

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Refenestrated's avatar

Wells Fargo: The Pfizer of the financial services industry.

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Justin's avatar

Wait... I thought Chase was! Seem to get caught money laundering a lot of cartel money.

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Mike R.'s avatar

Freeway Ricky Ross-- a dead Gary Webb and the L.A. crack epidemic or the Taibbi report on special teller windows to receive boxed cartel cash--(the rich guys walked)--or outright cartel control of entire sections of American cities..consider Mayorkas NGO/cartel human trafficking industry..and the consequences. Cartel cash and tax largesse by the truckload all around for the winners. The greatest upward transfer of wealth in human history for the losers. Wells Fargo...like the Pinkerton's..began as head busters for the wealthy.

"..where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty poison..and the executioners face is always well hidden.." B.Dylan.

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Zayphar's avatar

Pfizer is a typical corporate a-hole. Wells Fargo is in a whole 'nother galaxy.

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Danno's avatar

I still think Pfizer is worse. Their experimental mRNA shots killed thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people and caused untold continuing health problems for millions more. It was worse than negligence because they knew about the risks and tried to hide them from the public.

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TruthCanHurt23's avatar

Not familiar with high death toll from Pfizer vaccine. Any links/sources you'd recommend to learn more? Is it only Pfizer?

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Zayphar's avatar

COVID Vaccine “Safe and Effective” Narrative Collapses on Camera During Senate Hearing

https://www.vigilantfox.com/p/covid-vaccine-safe-and-effective

"During a six month period, the death and injury toll was staggering: 384,270 reports of adverse events, 4,812 deaths, and 1,736 of those occurred within just 48 hours of injection."

Studies: Negative effects on pregnant women who took COVID vaccines. COVID mRNA Vaccines Reduced Fertility in Women By a Third.

"Shimabukuro study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which showed a 12.6% miscarriage rate immediately following COVID vaccination."

https://pjmedia.com/benbartee/2025/07/04/slew-of-new-research-points-to-devastation-wrought-on-womens-reproductive-systems-by-covid-shots-n4941438

https://hotair.com/david-strom/2025/06/26/study-covid-19-vaccine-reduced-fertility-in-women-by-a-third-n3804195

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TruthCanHurt23's avatar

Thanks! Will read!

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Zayphar's avatar

The blame in this case lies with the NIAID(Fauci), NIH, FDA(Hahn, Woodcock, Califf), Operation Warp Speed(Fauci, Kessler, Murthy) and the CDC(Walensky).

Pfizer provided this untested drug because the government demanded that they do so, despite the fact that it was not properly tested. Corporations that rely on government approval in order to sell their products are not going to say no in such a situation. It is unreasonable to expect them to resist such a demand. It was the government who hid the risks of these mRNA therapies, and according to investigations did so at the demand of the government. The blame for these completely predictable deaths does not lie with Pfizer or Moderna, it lies with the government.

I say this as someone who wound up in the ER 4 days after my booster shot with cardiac distress.

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Al Gonzalez's avatar

The problem with white collar crime is that NO ONE goes to jail, they pay fines to the government mostly and that’s it. Instead of just fining them 8 figures if those two executives did some time in jail maybe things would change.

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

Effing Martha Stewart went to jail for a nothingburger.

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Yeffie's avatar

Most of the time fines are paid by the corporation meaning stockholders. People responsible for these actions at best will let go and be hired by another bank.

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Yeffie's avatar

And customers should sue the hell out of corporate management and not the company as many people get sucked into by greedy lawyers

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Current Resident's avatar

Agreed. Carrie Tolstedt's net worth is currently estimated at $43 million. John Strumpf's is $108-135 million.

This might not be the example people are reaching for when they talk about the gender pay gap.

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Noam Deplume, Jr. (look,at,me)'s avatar

Interestingly corporations have individual freedoms such as free speech, and therefore the right to make campaign contributions like a person, according to the Roberts Supreme Court.

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

You are exactly right. But don’t blame The Supremes. Why don’t our elected leaders change things? Because they are not public servants anymore, just people auditioning for a job they want to keep — forever. And even when they die! Exhibit A: Debbie Dingall. BTW, here in Illinois it is how it works.

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Maria's avatar

Ok. - so BoA is the heavy weight champ of the world in criminal fines:

Based on available data, **Bank of America** has paid significantly more in criminal and civil fines over the last 10 years (2012–2022) compared to **Wells Fargo**. Here’s a breakdown:

- **Bank of America**:

- Total fines from 2012 to 2022 are reported to be over **$60 billion** across 124 fines, primarily due to its role in the Subprime Mortgage Crisis and related abuses. Notable settlements include:

- **$11 billion** as part of a $25 billion agreement with major mortgage servicers to address foreclosure and loan servicing abuses.

- **$10.3 billion** to Fannie Mae in 2013.

- **$9.3 billion** to the Federal Housing Finance Agency in 2014.

- Additional fines in 2023, such as **$250 million** for double-dipping fees, withholding credit card rewards, and opening fake accounts, and **$225 million** in 2022 for mishandling state unemployment benefits during the pandemic.[](https://www.enzuzo.com/blog/biggest-compliance-fines)[](https://whyy.org/articles/bank-of-america-100-million-penalties-for-doubling-fees-opening-accounts-without-customer-consent/)[](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/federal-regulators-fine-bank-of-america-225-million-over-botched-disbursement-of-state-unemployment-benefits-at-height-of-pandemic/)

- **Wells Fargo**:

- Total fines from 2012 to 2022 amount to approximately **$20.32 billion**. Key penalties include:

- **$3.7 billion** in 2022 from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for mismanagement of auto loans, mortgages, and bank accounts, including a $1.7 billion civil penalty and $2 billion in consumer redress.

- **$3 billion** in 2020 to settle criminal and civil investigations related to the fake accounts scandal.

- **$97.8 million** in 2023 for sanctions violations involving prohibited transactions.

- **$1 billion** in 2018 for auto loan and mortgage lending abuses.[](https://www.enzuzo.com/blog/biggest-compliance-fines)[](https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/wells-fargo-agrees-pay-3-billion-resolve-criminal-and-civil-investigations-sales-practices)[](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/banking/well-fargo-fines)

**Conclusion**: Bank of America has paid roughly **three times more** in fines than Wells Fargo over the last decade, driven largely by its extensive penalties following the 2008 financial crisis. However, both banks have faced significant regulatory scrutiny for consumer abuses and compliance failures. For the most precise and up-to-date figures, you may want to consult regulatory databases like the CFPB or SEC websites, as fine totals can vary slightly depending on the source and scope of violations considered.

Per Grok

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Eric Salzman's avatar

How about Light-Heavyweight Champ?

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Maria's avatar

100%. How about these executives get prosecuted in criminal court. I am always befuddled how a 'corporation' which is only the sum of its people, can pay 'criminal fines' while the corporation can't pull the trigger, only its individual employees can.

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Rex's avatar

The "why" is always that you so-called government wants it 'cut' of the action.

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ktrip's avatar

This is not to defend Wells, but from what I saw, Wells was the "victim" of not being a good enough Democrat donor. All the big banks engaged in roughly the same practices. Wells (and I suspect BofA) were not Wall Street like Chase, Citi, Amex and others. Wells did not have protection from Chuck Schumer. CFPB had a green light to make an example of them.

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Daily Growler's avatar

Thanks for sharing this info. I wasn't aware.

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Robert Hunter's avatar

It's the financial systems. They can't be fixed. The only way to reduce the malfeasance is to make banking a public utility and severely punish malfeasance. It seems to work well in China and N Dakota.

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JFB's avatar

Yep, nothing more transparent or reliable than the Chinese banking system.

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Rex's avatar

ANOTHER of Warren Buffet's favorite Berkshire investments. He has dumped a BUNCH (but, as I understand not all) of its shares lately. To me this say: 'Watch out below!'

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Tardigrade's avatar

Obviously fines are not a deterrent, just a cost of doing business.

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Megan Baker's avatar

Bankenstein.

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Current Resident's avatar

I have no idea why anyone would bank with Wells Fargo, given how many scams they have run on their customers. They should not exist, and no one would miss them if the Fed shut them down.

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Art's avatar

As a young man I opened my first IRA with Wells. After seeing first annual statement it became apparent that they were charging a service fee for holding the IRA that exceeded the annual interest they paid. Nice way for wealthy bankers to educate a working stiff about the way the system works.

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Silvia C's avatar

I ditched them in the mid-2000s after a scandal. They also had terrible customer service. I went to BofA because the local branch took great care of me, but in general they're terrible too.

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Daily Growler's avatar

I'm not here to defend those practices of Wells that Matt described, but I can give you an "idea of why anyone would bank with Wells Fargo." In my experience, their customer service to middle class customers is excellent, and their website is easy to navigate and use. I've tried several other banks as I've moved around the country in past few decades, but I always go back to Wells Fargo because of the service.

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Rich Smith's avatar

Where I live, their ATMs and bank branches are everywhere, which is why I use them.

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Bob Hougher's avatar

In 2012 I had 2 cashiers checks in the amount of $250K. The teller told me I would have access to the funds in 3 days. Three days passed and I could not use the funds. The bitchy , stressed out bank Manager said she was hold my cash for 15 days. It caused me untold grief and embarrassment. Later I heard they had been creating bogus accounts and got caught. POS.

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Anne Emerson Hall's avatar

Many years go, I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and worked for a major Boston based company. My paycheck came by mail monthly. Because I traveled, there was was a lag time before I could deposit it, and then a much longer one, called “the float.” Wells Fargo was one of many banks who had use of out of state funds for 12 business days before the depositors could use them. I went across the street to BofA, where the bank manager bestowed a commercial account on me and I am grateful to this day. The California legislature later prohibited banks from using “the float,” but that was in the days when the voters were still willing and able to vote Republicans into office.

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Danno's avatar

Like the Democrats don't take money from the banksters.

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Jack Gallagher's avatar

Well written. The September 2016 settlement dealing with WF opening deposit accounts that “may not have been authorized by consumers,” was one of the most eggregious of this list. That's willful fraud. You can't blame that on a "mistake" or a keystroke error.

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Glitterpuppy's avatar

Right. They fired the underlings, claiming mgt. didn’t know about the scheme. Lol. Sure

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Dan Bouchard's avatar

I still don't understand why no one hasn't gone to jail for these crimes.

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Feral Finster's avatar

Jail is for the poors.

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Robert Hunter's avatar

Of course they learned their lesson. Crime pays! Hire enough lobbyists and you can make most of your crimes perfectly legal. In the worst case, you pay a tax deductible fine and continue where you left off. China understands the attraction of financial crime so they have public banking. They also understand that the temptations are so great people will still try so they punish the people/crooks severely. They can do this because the people/government owns the banks, unlike here where the banks own the government. They learned from us. We could now, learn from them.

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Brucetrost's avatar

Would be interesting to see the other part of the crimes, like who exactly received the fines that were paid?

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Danno's avatar

Stockbrokers are also notorious for this sort of pilferage. I would put in a sell order at the current daily price on more than one occaision and later notice that the broker sold at a lower price than what I thought. When I inquired about it I was told that the transaction took 24 (or 48) hours to go through, and that the price had since gone down. But on transactions where the price goes up the next day they were magically able to make a same-day transaction. I've since quit that brokerage but I suspect that this is done regularly. It's not easy to check up on, either.

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mhj's avatar

One must assume that for every dollar of fraud that was caught, many went (and continue) undiscovered.

The question to be asked is why anyone with needs more complex than simple household savings and checking account s and maybe a consumer CD, continues to do business with such a firm.

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Glitterpuppy's avatar

I’ve been told “ never buy financial instruments from banks”

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Tardigrade's avatar

After the financial crash and learning about the malfeasance of the banks, I moved all my banking activities to a small credit union (except one credit card). I suppose people with more complex financial lives might not be able to do that.

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Steve Smith's avatar

Wells Fargo utilized the classic "chiseling" technique where they would scrape off a little metal from every coin.

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Paul Reynolds's avatar

Wells Fargo learned it from Initech. Right there in the TPS reports.

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Anti-Hip's avatar

From the silver and gold days? Sounds as if a founding philosophy (here, the grift) stayed with them the whole time, as if often does in corporations.

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Lisa Brunette's avatar

Working with mostly foreign clients for the past decade, I can tell you this BSwift grift is now common practice with many banks.

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Eric Salzman's avatar

BONY Mellon and State Street both paid huge settlements for doing it to pension funds.

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One After 909's avatar

I recall the dreamy 70’s TV Commercials showing a stagecoach barreling through a rustic scene accompanied by a beguiling pedal-steel tinged western-style soundtrack, enticing the consumer to bank with Wells Fargo.

Does my memory fail me? In “Too Big Too Fail” wasn’t Wells depicted as the “good” guys for initially refusing Geithner’s bailout but being “forced” to take it in order demonstrate “solidarity” around the policy among the Big Banks? I have the book on Kindle but I’m just too lazy to check that out.

I DO remember most is what Wells did to my daughter, who, in 2008, was recruited out of college to take a job with them as a “Junior Financial Advisor” at a salary of $60K with the all-important full benefits. She was promised the potential for a long career with Wells with opportunities to advance in the business of “Finance”. She, and hundreds of others were packed off to Omaha or some such place for a “convention” where hard-sell techniques were presented and reinforced. Despite the financial collapse all around her, and all of us, she was in a dazzlingly great position. How proud her parents were.

Or so it seemed. Essentially her jobs was a boiler-room operation where she cold-called a list of clients who were upside down on mortgages, car payments or other revolving debt and provided a script enticing these poor people to sign on to more credit cards and more revolving credit even though they already were in dire straits. Wells knew exactly who these people were and her task was to “help” them. She told stories of people crying to her on the phone about their kids, their houses, their jobs and she would have to pitch these worthless products which she saw very quickly were only going to make their situation worse. Soon, her numbers were consistently at the lower end of performance. Think Glengarry Glen Ross: she wasn’t even going to get the steak knives.

The problem was my daughter, despite what her shortcomings might have been at the time, knew she was simply lying to these people. She had no background in finance but DID have a strong sense of what was right and what was wrong. Although she was collecting a handsome salary she became more and more depressed, living for the weekends and hating to return to work on Mondays. She gained weight, became more reclusive.

Finally, before whoever the Blake in her office could fire her, she told us she was going to quit. She had to. She couldn’t take it any more. And she did despite her parent's, I shamefully admit, misgivings about giving up a good-paying job “with benefits”.

Its 15 years later. She is doing fine, comparatively speaking. She has three kids but more importantly, still has her soul. Now, whenever I/we -my wife is part of this too, do that parent-thing of second-guessing some of her and her husband’s decisions, I harken back to when she took her own personal stand against those bastards at Wells Fargo and realize how wonderful a person is my daughter.

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Doctor Mist's avatar

Wow. I’ve had a Wells Fargo credit card for a half century and never had a complaint. I guess my transactions weren’t esoteric enough.

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Richard Clarke's avatar

Look again, you may have several more without knowing !!

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Steve Smith's avatar

If you traveled to a foreign country and used the card you may have been screwed on the exchange, not a lot, but a little.

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Kathy Hix's avatar

I got a check from Wells Fargo last year for almost $1000 that they said was a court ordered restitution for some shenanigans with my mortgage. I still haven't figured out what they did!

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