I’m frustrated.

Here’s the backstory: I use wellsfargo.com online banking a lot. They are my bank and I check up on my accounts often. Last fall I started to notice something, I was mistyping my password and still gaining entry. Instead of investigating it right away, I assumed that I was just imagining mistyping and I was actually typing it right. At Christmas time I was at home in Iowa and it happened again. I investigated. I typed my passwords without any capital letters, I got in. I typed it with capital letters, I got in. Weird.

Maybe I just have two passwords associated with my account. That would be strange, but not unheard of considering my history with WF. It was the holidays, I decided to let it go for now.

Today it happened again. I typed in my password with different letters capitalized, I got in.

Wells Fargo passwords are not case-sensitive. I decided to call the online banking number. The first guy I talked to was ready to admit that their passwords were in fact NOT CASE SENSITIVE. I was shocked. How could a billion dollar company not be able to do something I figured out in my spare time last week?I do understand their users are more than mine, but it seems pretty basic, right?

Every other Wells Fargo service that requires a login, has case sensitive passwords:

• Wells Fargo Financial
• Wells Fargo Broker (?)
• Securities
• Employment Opportunities (!)
• Advantage Funds
• and lastly…Wachovia (!!)

This was not hard to find, Google did the work for me.

So. An email I was to write, yes? Yes.

“There’s a great little link, Contact Us, on the top of your main page, click there. Then click, Email us.” So I draft a response:

I’ve discovered that Wells Fargo Online Banking passwords are NOT case-sensitive. Googling the issue has shown that every other Wells Fargo service that requires a login, Wells Fargo Advantage Funds, Wells Fargo Financial, Wells Fargo Securities, Wachovia (!), and Wells Fargo Broker (all just on the first page of googling), all have case-sensitive passwords, but Wells Fargo Main Online Banking page does not have case-sensitive passwords.

I found an article dating back to September of 2008, http://www.pcsympathy.com/2008/09/05/wells-fargo-passwords-are-not-case-sensitive/ highlighting the fact that your passwords are not case sensitive.

I’m very surprised by your lack of online security in this issue. The woman I spoke to in online service assured me that Wells Fargo is the leader in online banking, but I question that claim due to your lack of basic security on the accounts of your clients.

I am web savvy and I run my own basic website–personal blog and resume. I’ve recently needed to password protect content on my own site and I was able to make case sensitive passwords on my own, without too much trouble. I in now way assume that I have nearly as many people using my website as you do, but I was able to do it on a very small scale, very easily.

Security is extremely important when it comes to online banking and the place to start would be with a secure entry point into your service.

Please fix this issue as soon as possible, guaranteeing my safety when it comes to online banking with Wells Fargo. I’m very happy with the service at Wells Fargo, but this issue is big enough that I’m considering switching banks because of it.

I add my telephone number and we’re good to go, right?

“You’re response is too long. Please limit your comments to approximately 20 lines.”

What?! I’m limited in how verbose I can be when complaining? If I only had this luxury when it came to clients! I’m sorry, your notes are too long, please resubmit them. BAH!

So, I pare down my response to the bare minimum.

I’ve discovered that Wells Fargo Online Banking passwords are NOT case-sensitive. Googling the issue has shown that every other Wells Fargo service that requires a login, Wells Fargo Advantage Funds, Wells Fargo Financial, Wells Fargo Securities, Wachovia (!), and Wells Fargo Broker (all just on the first page of googling), all have case-sensitive passwords, but Wells Fargo Main Online Banking page does not have case-sensitive passwords.

I found an article dating back to September of 2008, http://www.pcsympathy.com/2008/09/05/wells-fargo-passwords-are-not-case-sensitive/ highlighting the fact that your passwords are not case sensitive.

Please fix this issue as soon as possible, guaranteeing my safety when it comes to online banking with Wells Fargo. I’m very happy with the service at Wells Fargo, but this issue is big enough that I’m considering switching banks because of it.

Less personal, but under the legal limit. Success. Well, kindof. This is what the person on the other end will see:

Not only was my length of comment regulated, any formatting I added (simple double return for reading ease) was removed. DOUBLE BAH!

As I stated in my original letter, the second woman I spoke to said “Wells Fargo is a Leader in Online Banking.” While that may be true in numbers, it’s not true in terms of innovation and security.

Dear Wells Fargo,

Please stop sucking.

Love,

jack.

UPDATE 3.43 PM

I’ve received a message from Wells Fargo:

Dear Jack Maatman:

Wells Fargo uses layered security. Layered security means using multiple security measures to prevent and detect unauthorized account access. Wells Fargo uses many security tools such as secured websites, fraud monitoring systems and session encryption. Security questions are an additional layer of protection for your accounts online.

For more information about security questions, please visit wellsfargo.com/securityquestions

I have forwarded your comments to our Project Management Team who are always interested in ideas for improving our service. We find that the best ideas often come from our customers.

Your views are always welcome. Thank you for banking with Wells Fargo.

Sincerely,
LeAnne Wojo
Wells Fargo Online Customer Service

Wells Fargo is dedicated to protecting your information. To learn about our security measures and what we do to protect your accounts online, go to wellsfargo.com/privacy_security/fraud/

I’m not impressed or dissatisfied. They seem to know this is a problem and skirt the immediate issue by pointing in other directions. Look, that elephant stands at the door when you’re logged in! It’s big! I think there is a special logical fallacy name for that, but in my experience it’s called, LOOK OVER THERE!

I like how they use jargon to intimidate me. Layered Security. I don’t believe I’ve ever set up security questions.

But, it’s fun to be angry at a giant corporation who won’t care if they lose my business. At least they can vote now, too.

Oh, and if the layered security is so incredible, why do all their other websites use case sensitive passwords?