Wells Fargo Unauthorized Accounts Settlement: The $142 Million Fund Is Closed
Settled — Claims Period Closed
Claim deadline was July 7, 2018 · as of Oct 23, 2026
The Wells Fargo unauthorized accounts settlement is the $142 million class action Jabbari v. Wells Fargo, for accounts and products opened without consent between May 1, 2002 and April 20, 2017. The claim deadline was July 7, 2018, and Wells Fargo reported the money as paid in its 2020 annual report. As of October 2026 there is no new fake-accounts claim form. The Wells Fargo checks in the news in 2026 come from different cases.
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Can I Still File?
The claim deadline, what the settlement pays and where to file — plus other settlements still taking claims.
No. The claim deadline was July 7, 2018.
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What the Fake-Accounts Case Was About
According to the federal regulators, Wells Fargo employees under sales quotas opened accounts in customers' names without asking them. The CFPB said that by the bank's own analysis, employees opened roughly 1.5 million deposit accounts and applied for roughly 565,000 credit card accounts that may not have been authorized. That is more than two million accounts in total.
The CFPB said employees moved money out of customers' real accounts to fund the new ones, which sometimes triggered overdraft and insufficient-funds fees. It also said employees issued debit cards and created PINs without telling customers, and made up email addresses to enroll people in online banking.
In its 2020 settlement with the Justice Department, Wells Fargo admitted that it “collected millions of dollars in fees and interest to which the Company was not entitled, harmed the credit ratings of certain customers, and unlawfully misused customers’ sensitive personal information.”
Case details
The consumer class action is Jabbari v. Wells Fargo & Company, No. 3:15-cv-02159, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, before Judge Vince Chhabria. It was filed May 13, 2015. In Wells Fargo's SEC filings it is called the “first-filed action” among several consumer suits. The settlement covers products or services provided without authorization or consent from May 1, 2002 to April 20, 2017.
The court granted final approval on June 14, 2018. Objectors appealed (Ninth Circuit No. 18-16213 and related appeals), and the Ninth Circuit affirmed on July 20, 2020. On September 29, 2020, the district court approved the distribution to claimants.
Separate from the class action, the government cases were: the 2016 penalties from the CFPB, the OCC and Los Angeles, and the 2020 resolution with the Justice Department and the SEC (DOJ announcement).
Status: Settled, Claims Closed, Paid
Why the searches now? Other Wells Fargo settlements are in the news in 2026, and people mix them up with this one. The Stoff settlement ($56.85 million) is about mortgage forbearance reporting under the CARES Act, not fake accounts. Our report on the Stoff checks and what is still unconfirmed has the details. A separate $84 million ESOP settlement was paid into Wells Fargo 401(k) accounts on August 13, with no claim form. Neither one involves unauthorized accounts.
Who Was in the Class
The class covered people who, according to the settlement, received Wells Fargo products or services without authorization or consent between May 1, 2002 and April 20, 2017. Plaintiffs estimated 3.5 million unauthorized accounts.
If you did not file by July 7, 2018, you cannot file now. If you did file and never got paid, contact the administrator through the official site, WFSettlement.com. That site blocked our automated check, so we could not confirm what it currently shows.
Separately, under the 2016 CFPB order, refunds of fees caused by unauthorized accounts went out automatically. The CFPB said “Consumers are not required to take any action to get refunds to which they are entitled.”
How the $142 Million Was Split
We could not verify an average or typical check per person from a primary source, so we do not give one. Any 2026 page promising a specific Wells Fargo fake-accounts payment, including a $5,000 figure, is not backed by any court document we found.
For scale, the government money was separate. The $185 million in 2016 penalties ($100 million to the CFPB, $35 million to the OCC, $50 million to Los Angeles) went to the agencies and the city. The CFPB expected fee refunds to customers to total at least $2.5 million. In 2020, Wells Fargo agreed to pay $3 billion, including a $500 million SEC fund for investors, not account holders. Shareholders also settled their own securities class action for $480 million.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 129,730 other contract casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026, 6% of them filed as class actions:
- 30.7% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 20.2% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 30.7% and 50.9%.
- 7.5% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 72 reached a trial (1.4%), after a median of 29.3 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7.6 months.
- Only 7,691 of them (5.9%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $407,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other contract cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Wells Fargo Unauthorized Accounts Timeline
May 13, 2015 — Jabbari Class Action Filed
Customers sue in the Northern District of California (No. 3:15-cv-02159). The Los Angeles City Attorney had sued on May 4, 2015.
September 8, 2016 — Regulators Announce Penalties
The CFPB ($100 million), the OCC ($35 million) and Los Angeles ($50 million) settle. The CFPB orders fee refunds paid automatically.
April–July 2017 — $142 Million Deal Preliminarily Approved
Wells Fargo signs the Jabbari settlement in April 2017. The court grants preliminary approval in July 2017. The class period runs from May 1, 2002 to April 20, 2017.
June 14, 2018 — Final Approval; Claims Close July 7, 2018
Judge Chhabria grants final approval. The claim period closes July 7, 2018, and objectors appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
February 21, 2020 — $3 Billion DOJ and SEC Resolution
Wells Fargo resolves the criminal and civil investigations, including a deferred prosecution agreement and a $500 million fund for investors.
July 20 and September 29, 2020 — Appeal Affirmed, Distribution Approved
The Ninth Circuit affirms the settlement, and the district court approves the distribution to claimants. Wells Fargo later reports the $142 million as paid.
Three Things to Watch For
A famous scandal, a closed fund and new Wells Fargo checks in 2026 are an easy mix for scammers:
“$5,000 Wells Fargo settlement” sign-up pages
We found no court document behind a $5,000 fake-accounts payment. The Jabbari claim period closed July 7, 2018. A page asking for your Social Security number or bank login to “check eligibility” is collecting data, not filing a claim.
“Unclaimed fake-account money” calls with a fee
A real administrator does not charge you to release a settlement payment. Wells Fargo's 2016 CFPB fee refunds were automatic. If someone asks for a processing fee, gift cards or a wire, hang up.
Texts that borrow the Stoff or ESOP news
The 2026 Wells Fargo settlements (Stoff mortgage forbearance and the ESOP 401(k) settlement) are separate cases, and neither needs a new claim. A text tying them to “your unauthorized accounts” and linking to a login page is phishing. Sign in only through the Wells Fargo app or wellsfargo.com, typed in yourself.
Wells Fargo Unauthorized Accounts Settlement — Questions People Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
Who is eligible for the $5,000 Wells Fargo settlement?
We found no Wells Fargo unauthorized-accounts settlement that pays a flat $5,000. The real consumer settlement is the $142 million Jabbari fund for products opened without consent between May 1, 2002 and April 20, 2017, and its claim period closed July 7, 2018. Treat a $5,000 promise as a red flag.
How do I get my Wells Fargo settlement money?
For the fake-accounts case, only people who filed by July 7, 2018 can be paid. The court approved the distribution September 29, 2020, and Wells Fargo reports the $142 million as paid. If you filed and were never paid, contact the administrator through WFSettlement.com. For the 2026 Stoff checks, see our Stoff settlement page.
How much will each person get in the Wells Fargo settlement?
There is no published per-person figure in any primary source we could read. The $142 million first covered remediation, attorneys' fees and administration, and Wells Fargo guaranteed at least $25 million for class members. Individual payments depended on each claim and on how many accounts were claimed, against a plaintiff estimate of 3.5 million.
How do I know if I'm part of the Wells Fargo settlement?
You were in the Jabbari class if Wells Fargo opened an account or product in your name without consent between May 1, 2002 and April 20, 2017. Being in the class no longer matters for new money, because claims closed July 7, 2018. If you are asking about a 2026 check, it is most likely from the separate Stoff or ESOP settlement.
Is the Wells Fargo unauthorized accounts settlement still open?
No. As of October 2026 the Jabbari settlement is closed: final approval June 14, 2018, claims closed July 7, 2018, appeal affirmed July 20, 2020, distribution approved September 29, 2020. We found no reopened claim period.
I still have a Wells Fargo account I never opened. What now?
The settlement period ended April 20, 2017, so an account opened after that is outside it. Close the account, ask Wells Fargo in writing to reverse any fees, pull your free credit reports, and file a complaint with the CFPB if the bank does not fix it.
Did the $3 billion DOJ settlement pay customers?
Not directly. The $3 billion from February 21, 2020 resolved criminal and civil investigations. It included a $500 million SEC fund for investors, not account holders. Customer money came from the CFPB-ordered refunds and the Jabbari class settlement.
Is this related to the CARES Act or ESOP Wells Fargo settlements?
No. Stoff ($56.85 million) concerns mortgage forbearance reporting, and the $84 million ESOP settlement concerned Wells Fargo's 401(k) plan. The ESOP settlement paid out in 2026 and the Stoff settlement was approved in 2026 with checks promised by the end of August 2026, which is why searches for the old fake-accounts settlement have picked up again.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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