Wells Fargo And Others Get Charged Hefty Fine For Improper Use Of Messaging Apps

The U.S. SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have collectively imposed charges against numerous firms, including Wells Fargo, Bank of Montreal, BMO Capital Markets Corp, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Wedbush Securities, Houlihan Lokey Capital, Moelis & Company, SMBC Nikko Securities America, Mizuho Securities, and SG Americas Securities.

This penalty is a result of their apparent failure to appropriately document electronic communications regarding apps like iMessage, Signal, and WhatsApp, leading to violations of securities laws.

The investigation begins

The investigation conducted by the regulatory bodies revealed that employees across these companies engaged in informal communication through the aforementioned platforms concerning the business activities of their employees. A significant portion of these communications was not recorded, constituting a violation of federal securities regulations according to the SEC.

These firms have acknowledged their wrongdoing and their violation of record-keeping provisions of federal securities laws. They have agreed to pay a combined sum of $289 million in penalties and have initiated steps to enhance their compliance measures to rectify these breaches.

The CFTC also pursued similar charges against some of the firms, resulting in separate fines, namely BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Wells Fargo, and the Bank of Montreal which were subject to fines of $75 million, $75 million, $75 million, and $35 million respectively.

Looking ahead

Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SECs Division of Enforcement, emphasized the importance of adhering to record keeping regulations for investor protection and the proper functioning of markets. He urged non-compliant firms to self report violations, cooperate, and remediate to achieve better outcomes.

These fines are part of a series of penalties targeting established financial institutions. Notably, Credit Suisse was fined over $250 million in the previous month due to its involvement with Bill Hwang, an investor who suffered significant losses due to high leverage and poor trades.