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Introduction
During the financial crisis, Wells Fargo was not a major
player in the creation toxic and complex mortgage
securities. It emerged from the crisis with a relatively good
reputation. But one, which obscured its aggressive
foreclosure activities.
The bank was led by John Stumpf during this period first as
president from 2005 and in 2007 as CEO. In 2010 he added
chairman to his duties as CEO.
The Wells Fargo cross-selling scandal demonstrates the
importance of financial incentives not just at the senior
management level but at all levels of an organization.
Wells Fargo said its top executives learned in 2013 that
some employees were systematically creating illegal
accounts to meet sales goals. But former employees who
tried to blow the whistle on the fraudulent activity years
earlier tell a different story.
For decades, courts have been
largely pro-bank when hearing
foreclosure cases came before
them, they tended to accept what
the financial institutions produced
in documentation and amounts
owed by borrowers.