JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Those who bank with Wells Fargo are double-checking bank statements after a mailing mix-up caused by a computer glitch sent some customers' personal information to others.
After opening bank statements, many found they had another customer's account number and address.
Recommended Videos
The bank is admitting it made the mistake, which has customers shocked that a national company with millions of clients could make such an error.
Wells Fargo spokeswoman Kathy Harrison said the problem started Tuesday when people across South Carolina noticed the problem, and on Wednesday night, the bank learned it spread to northeast Florida, but it's still not sure how big the problem really is.
"This is actually the front page of my savings account, account number, name, my whopping balance of $16.45," said one Wells Fargo who wants to remain anonymous. "Flip it over, different account number, different transactions. I've gained, oh, about $115,000 overnight."
Other customers are just learning about the mishap and are worrying their address, account number and name are in someone else's hands without their knowledge.
"Very worried about it, to make sure that they don't have any personal information of mine hopefully," customer Holly Brown said.
Many customers have been stopping by their local branches to see if there's a solution to the problem, but some say they're not getting any answers.
Customer David Choi said bank officials did not tell him what he should do.
While Wells Fargo admits it made an error, the company does not believe customers are in danger.
"Our customer statements, I'd like to ensure customers, they're not designed to include Social Security numbers or any other personal information that can be misused," Harrison said. "We feel very strongly that risk of identity theft is very low."
The company says that a printer that malfunctioned and caused the glitch has been identified and is now out of commission.
But security experts like Walton Eaton are warning every one to be alert and watch out for mistakes.
"You should contact your bank, especially if you ever suspect anything, and you should talk with your bank about their security policies and what they should do," Eaton said.
As Wells Fargo claims to be working to make sure this doesn't happen again, some customers say they're still weighing the alternatives.
It's important to note that if you receive your statements online, Wells Fargo says you will not notice an error because this was strictly a mailing mistake.
The bank plans to offer everyone who received a faulty statement one free year of identity theft protection. It also wants to use this as an opportunity to encourage customers to bank online because the company feels it may be safer.