I soon learned that many other members of my adult community had also lost their accounts and received the exact same letter. As tears rolled down my face, I told my story. In my sadness and anger, I decided to film a video describing what had happened. Like many people, I often use my social media pages as a platform to share issues or even vent. “In one fell swoop, a bank like Wells Fargo could identify which of their customers are involved in legal sex work and remove us all.” In one fell swoop, a bank like Wells Fargo could identify which of their customers are involved in legal sex work and remove us all. Imagine being able to create a list of every worker on a platform by searching recipients of deposits from Fenix. This isn’t an issue adult platforms usually face, as most fly under the radar with a different business name used to run their day-to-day operations such as payroll. Since millions of people are uploading and selling their content through OnlyFans, their parent company name, Fenix International, has become well-known. While this was a short-term improvement, it may be one of the causes of this current problem. We didn’t have the snarling face of an upset, underpaid bank employee judging us anymore. When we moved over to online work, direct deposits took that problem away. This would cause bank tellers to mistreat us, often harassing workers who were simply trying to collect their pay. The company name would automatically notify the teller who was cutting me that hefty check, sometimes with the name of the film listed in the subject line. Historically, as an adult film actress, my checks from production companies would often be the dead giveaway. My deposits create a direct link to online platforms where I post and share my adult content. As a performer and content creator, I receive deposits from online companies such as OnlyFans. For the first time, I proudly repeated the same statement to the rep, as she was being recorded on my behalf.Īs a union leader, this breakup was beginning to feel more like discrimination than a simple business decision. As the agent went through a long list of identifying information, I was told my call was being recorded and monitored. I patiently waited nearly thirty minutes to finally speak to a representative from what I believed was their risk-assessment team. After a few moments, the service representative sadly informed me the letter was real. Instead of calling the number given in the letter, I called the customer service line to be sure it was Wells Fargo that I was speaking with. There was absolutely nothing in my banking history to warrant my newfound risk factor, so I thought maybe the letter was a hoax. After all, I’ve never bounced a check, I’ve never overdrafted or had any type of issue in the past. The first question that came to mind when reading this strange letter was whether it was fake.
While this is not the first time an adult performer or business has been kicked out of a financial institution, it was the first time it had happened to me. After thirty years together, through thick and thin, my bank was dumping me because I’m somehow now labeled a risk. The letter stated that after reviewing our relationship in connection with the bank’s responsibilities to manage risk, they would be closing my bank accounts. As I opened the letter and began reading, confusion took over. It was the lack of warning on the envelope that captured my attention. The plain white envelope marked with nothing more than the Wells Fargo logo may have normally gone unnoticed, blending in with junk mail.
My bank, Wells Fargo, decided to break up with me via a typed-out letter delivered through the mail. I recently learned that the longest relationship in my life was coming to an end.