Woman Says Bank Demanded Nude Pix

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CN) - A Wells Fargo Bank customer claims the bank refused to fix an error in her account unless she complied with an employee's demand for "phone fun" - that she send him nude pictures of herself. She says she was stranded without money on a business trip due to the bank's mistake, and its worker "clearly implied that he wanted naked photographs in exchange for providing his customer service."

Plaintiff J.N. sued Wells Fargo and its Financial Leasing and Home Mortgage divisions in Hudson County Superior Court.

J.N. claims that while she was in Chicago, "she discovered that her personal checking account had been depleted of available funds" because "Wells Fargo improperly ... had withdrawn money from [her] checking account in order to satisfy her mortgage loan payment."

J.N. says that when she called the bank to report the problem, she gave her cell phone number to an employee who identified himself only as "Michael."

Shortly after this, J.N. says, defendant "Michael Doe" contacted her by text message, "advising [her] that he would not reverse the erroneous transaction unless she engaged in 'phone fun' with him and provide him with photographs of herself."

J.N. claims that Michael texted her the question, "Are you near a bathroom?" She claims this "clearly implied that he wanted naked photographs in exchange for providing his customer service."

J.N. says the bank left her facing the prospect of being stranded without money in Chicago "unless she fulfilled the extreme and outrageous request" of its employee. J.N. says she "did not send pictures," but had to "spend the entire day attempting to convince him to reverse the transactions."

J.N. says that Michael "repeatedly asked if she was going to help him."

She seeks damages for emotional distress, negligent hiring and gender discrimination. She is represented by Robert Rosenwasser with Golden, Rothschild, Spagnola, Lundell, Boylan and Garubo of Bridgewater, N.J.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit