Consumer complaint received 2022-03-31
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
On XXXX, my cellphone was receiving many spam phone calls and text messages. Many text messages were for different types of authorizations from applications like XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and Citibank. I checked my email after attempting to block all of these numbers and texts, and saw that there were multiple attempts at a wire transfer of all of my money ( {$8400.00} ) to an Account with the name XXXX XXXX. One transfer eventually went through. This was around XXXX or XXXX. when I saw this. I had many calls from Citibank at this time and called them. At this time ( Around XXXX. by the time I connected ) we were able to put a block on my account, but they said there was nothing they could d o about the wire transfer. The exact words they used were, " It is in the pipe. '' They told me to call the next morning to try and cancel the wire transfer. I asked for an appointment with my local branch as well. I called early the next morning ( XXXX ), and was told that the office wasn't open yet. 


Called again when the office opened, and was told there was nothing they could do about the wire transfer, they sent the message to the other bank to send the money back. I was thrown around to multiple different departments and hoped that it would be settled when I went to the appointment I had scheduled at my local bank. I got to my local bank and was told that I did not indeed have an appointment, and there was no one I could talk to at this location. They offered me an appointment for the following day, but I couldn't wait so I went to another location. At this location, we contacted the other bank and were told that the money had already been withdrawn. When speaking to Citibank, we were told that they hadn't heard back from the other bank yet and there was nothing that they could do. I left that appointment without any answers of being given steps by Citibank and what to do next. 

I called every day asking for answers of what I could do t o get my money back, but was told that I was the victim of a scam, so it was out of Citibank 's hands. I was instructed by my local teller to bring a police report and file an affidavit with the bank. I submitted the Affidavit XX/XX/XXXX, and was told to wait 30-60 days. I called again on XX/XX/XXXX to see if there was any update on the case, and was told that the case was dropped and no one w as working on it. I asked them to reopen the case and they said that they would. 

I called again XX/XX/XXXX to see if there was anything else that I could do, and I was told that the case was still closed and was not reopened on the XXXX. I was also told that they have not uploaded the affidavit that I brought them. I called on XX/XX/XXXX and was told that the case was closed still. I was then told that there was a request for the case to be reopened. I asked to talk to a supervisor, and was told there was no one I could talk to. I was told that someone would call me within 48 hours. I cal l almost every day and check the status of the case/ the status of the investigation. Most recently I was told that when the back office finally uploads the affidavit, they would reopen the case and that someone from the Incident Reporting Unit would call me. No one has called me yet. 

Case number with Wire Department : XXXX Case Number with Incident Reporting : XXXX XXXX

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