3 Things The Wells Fargo Scam Taught Us | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

3 Things The Wells Fargo Scam Taught Us

A $190 million lesson

18
3 Things The Wells Fargo Scam Taught Us
New York Times

September 15, 2016, a day that will live in infamy for Wells Fargo. A stunning investigation found that Wells Fargo was using unethical practices to improve sales numbers and created 2 million fake accounts for customers. In the end, Wells Fargo fired the 5,300 employees that carried out the scam and had to pay $190 million in fines, $5 million of which went to the customers who were directly scammed. But this huge mistake by the bank definitely has a few lessons for the American people.

1. Fiscal policy in the US needs an overhaul

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was the hero in this case, fighting for those citizens who were scammed by the company and getting them a good settlement. The CFPB was implemented by the Dodd-Frank financial reform act. However, it has got some famous names against it. Paul Ryan, the current speaker of the house, said that the CFPB "micromanages your life" rather than protecting you. In retaliation, the Choice Act was proposed, cutting the CFPB's power significantly and making banking even more untrustworthy. The Dodd-Frank Bill has its issues too, and because of this, it's clear to Congress and the American people that a clear fiscal policy for protecting consumers is needed.

2. Things can happen that are beyond your control

Sometimes, a simple consumer error can cause a person to get scammed. This can be a huge dilemma, like the Great Depression and the burst of the housing bubble. But the Wells Fargo fraud shows us that some scams can't even be controlled. The entire scam was conducted by 5,300 employees who had full access to consumer's information. We have no choice to give them certain information and withhold some, because they need to have access. And that's something we can never change. Unless we're our own bankers, that's a trust we'll have to have, but that trust continues to decline.

3. Bankers, no matter how big the fraud, stay solid

The leader of this fraud walked off with a huge payday, just when she was about to retire too. And Wells Fargo will continue to make money and get new clients, maybe not in the next month, but definitely in the future. Yes, their stocks will crash. Yes, a lot of employees will lose their jobs. But they will continue to make money because we need bankers. Bankers run the economy, so they will continue to stay solid.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

5321
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
kid
Janko Ferlic
Do as I say, not as I do.

Your eyes widen in horror as you stare at your phone. Beads of sweat begin to saturate your palm as your fingers tremble in fear. The illuminated screen reads, "Missed Call: Mom."

Growing up with strict parents, you learn that a few things go unsaid. Manners are everything. Never talk back. Do as you're told without question. Most importantly, you develop a system and catch on to these quirks that strict parents have so that you can play their game and do what you want.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
tv.com

"Friends" maybe didn’t have everything right or realistic all the time, but they did have enough episodes to create countless reaction GIFs and enough awesomeness to create, well, the legacy they did. Something else that is timeless, a little rough, but memorable? Living away from the comforts of home. Whether you have an apartment, a dorm, your first house, or some sort of residence that is not the house you grew up in, I’m sure you can relate to most of these!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments