Consumer complaint received 2023-03-03
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
My husband received an email that he was being charged {$240.00} for a XXXX XXXX subscription which he doesnt have and have phone number to call.He called the phone number and told them to return the money because he doesnt have a subscription.While he was on the phone, he was asked to open his computer and if the refund went to his checking account.He was told that they will refund him in 2 payments.First {$150.00} then XXXX  XXXX.He was told that there will be block blue screen in his computer and he saw blocked blue screens 3x.One time he was told to type {$150.00} for the first refund that he will be receiving from XXXX XXXX.He was typing the dollar amount for {$150.00}, pressing the decimal point after XXXX and he noticed that it became $ XXXX.XXXX XXXX, the person he was talking said thaXXXX my husband made a mistake of putting {$15000.00} instead of {$150.00} in his checking account for the refund from them and my husband needs to return the money back to XXXX XXXX from their company which was in XXXX by money transfer.He needs to return it back to them by international money wire transfer because my husband made a mistake in typing.My husband told XXXX to change the amount in the computer because he said he didnt do it.He tried to put the decimal point after XXXX but it looks like XXXX was manipulating it and doing it by himself because there is movement in the computer without my husband doing it.He told XXXX, the person he was communicating to change {$15000.00} to {$150.00} and XXXX said he couldnt .He just need to wire transfer {$14000.00} minus the wiring fee because they will pay for wiring fee.If he will not return the {$14000.00} back to XXXX XXXX, they will charge him legally for putting {$15000.00} in my husbands checking account and that if Citibank asked him what is the reason for transferring {$14000.00} he needs to tell Citibank that he is transferring it to XXXX XXXX by wire transfer.Citibank might not call him but if Citibank called him he needs to say this words and he was told to repeat 4-6 times what needs to be say when Citibank called him. I tried to call Citibank 3x from my cell phone and was able to speak to a representative the 3rd time I called.Citibank have automated answering service and I find it hard to speak to a representative personally to address my concern about what Im hearing and seeing my husband doing in the computer with our bank account open and threatening my husband about legal actions they will charge against him if he will not return by wire transfer the money to XXXX XXXX in XXXX and told him what to say to Citibank if Citibank called.When I was able to connect to Citibank representative and spoke to her about the situation, she mentioned that {$15000.00} was transferred from our savings account to checking account and will be wired transferred to XXXX.She told me that she will try to hold the wire transfer first because its fraud. I told the Citibank representative that we are going to Citibank office personally.Citibank opened the case with fraud department, wire transfer team and dispute department by XXXX XXXX, personal banker with case number XXXX. I have called the Wire transfer department team, spoke with XXXX and told me that they have communicated with the XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX, and XXXX, requesting refunds back, no response yet.They said it takes 3 months sometimes to settle it.I called again XXXX XXXX and I was able to speak to XXXX, account supervisor and asked about the update to case .XXXX said to seek legal advice, get an attorney to communicate with the local XXXX police and then be able to get a court order to tell XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX for the money to be returned back.I was told that the case was closed because my husband have given them the code for the money to be transferred.I told XXXX that I called Citibank and was able to speak to Citibank representative and she knew that it was fraudulent transaction.I told XXXX that Citibank have to help me return the money back because its fraudulent transaction.They have tricked and threatened my husband and have remotely manipulated our bank account and made him believe that the money to be wired transfer is owned by XXXX XXXX while in fact XXXX was able to get into our savings account, puts a blue screen block in my husbands computer while XXXX was manipulating the transfer {$15000.00} from our savings to checking account without my husband realizing what is really happening in our bank account.After talking to XXXX.XXXX, account supervisor of citibank that Citibank needs to help me, she told me to go to the bank personally and have my husband file an affidavit of unauthorized wire transfer and submit it with my husbands signature to XXXX, notarized with case number XXXX. My husband and I are going to Citibank today to file an affidavit of unauthorized wire transfer.My husband and I have opened the case XXXX XXXX with XXXX XXXX, Citibank banker.XXXX have told me that she will send a letter from Citibank about the case.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation