NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Wells Fargo & Co's chief executive, John Stumpf, will tell US senators on Tuesday (Sept 20) that he is "deeply sorry" for selling customers unauthorised bank accounts and credit cards and that he would take "full responsibility" for the unethical activity, the New York Times reported on Monday.

Mr Stumpf will strike a contrite tone in a testimony over the fake accounts at a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Tuesday morning, the New York Times said, citing a copy of his prepared remarks.

Wells Fargo, the country's third-largest bank by assets, is embroiled in a scandal over the opening of sham accounts and was sued on Friday by customers who accused the bank of fraud and recklessness for its behavior.

The bank said it has fired 5,300 people over the matter and would eliminate sales goals in its retail banking on Jan 1, 2017.

Mr Stumpf will tell lawmakers that the illegal activity carried out was not part of any "orchestrated effort, or scheme, as some have called it, by the company," New York Times wrote quoting the testimony.

"We never directed nor wanted our employees, whom we refer to as team members, to provide products and services to customers they did not want or need," the Times quoted Mr Stumpf as saying.

Wells Fargo declined to comment.

Mr Stumpf will also acknowledge that the bank failed to do enough to stop the behavior from continuing, the Times said.