Consumer complaint received 2023-06-04
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: IL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I had my life 's savings stolen out of my Citibank Checking and Savings account in early XXXX, 2023 from an imposter scam. {$1000.00} was stolen out of my checking account through a XXXX transaction. 5 days after Citi 's " XXXX day '' investigation, I received a form letter stating they would not return the money because it was part of my " normal banking activity ''. I appealed the case several times, always getting the same answer. On my last phone call to Citi on XX/XX/XXXX, the person who answered the phone said that checking account was shared with my daughter XXXX XXXX it is not. XXXX and I shared an account when she was in college and it has not been used for years - it is now closed. The agent then began giving me dates, names, and Transaction amounts for the XXXX transactions on my account. When I told her that wasn't me and to please screenshot where she is finding this information on my account, she told me she e-mailed me all of my past XXXX transactions from last year. The email never came. She then said she made a mistake and was looking at XXXX 's personal Citibank account ( which she should not have access to since I did not give her or know of the security passwords to get into XXXX 's account. She then told me she will transfer me to the investigation dept and they will be able to look up my " past XXXX '' transactions. When transferred, I received a recorded message " Due to unusual circumstances they can not take calls right now '' and an immediate hangup. When I called Citi the next day, I was told they could not have a record of my XXXX transactions, XXXX would have that ( despite the fact I told them I can see the transactions on my bank statement... ). Called XXXX, and they told me they do not have that information - that would come from my band. Called Citibank and again requested they provide my previous transactions using XXXX to comply with the letter of denial they sent - proving using XXXX was my " normal banking activity ''. They said they would send that information to me and all I received was another letter stating it was part of my " normal banking activity ''. They will not give me back the money stolen from me but can not back up their reasons with facts. I want the facts. I want proof that I used XXXX before XX/XX/2023. 

I had {$50000.00} stolen from my savings account. Did not get any of that money back. They acknowledged it was a crime, but I got a " so sorry, sucks for you '' form letter after several appeals. A letter sent to me on XX/XX/XXXX in response to my first CFPB complaint tried to explain their reasons for me not getting any of this money back by citing incorrect dates when the crime occurred and citing the incorrect amount of money that was stolen from me- they suggested I contact FBI, local police which was all done in XXXX. Letter was proof that they did not do a careful investigation since they could not respond with the basic, correct information. No response from Citibank addressing the mistakes. 

In XXXX when I realized I was the victim of a crime, I immediately put a lock on my savings and checking account. I took what little money was left and opened up a new checking account. All balances are now at {$0.00} and I was getting ready to close every account I have with Citi. Imagine my surprise on XX/XX/2023 when I opened my account and saw a deposit in my LOCKED Citi savings account showed a deposit of {$2500.00} ... Transaction date XX/XX/2023 XXXX ET - Posted on XX/XX/2023, Transaction Type : Adjustments - listed as " other credit ''. Called Citibank to ask who deposited the money. ( once again experiencing 1-2 hr " on hold '' wait times only to have calls dropped when transferred and have to start all over again ). Reached an agent who said they will respond to this in a letter. 
A letter came on XX/XX/2023 saying " Because your primary account has changed and electronic delivery of statements was not elected by one of the signers on the new primary account, we are unable to continue to deliver your band statements electronically. '' I have NEVER authorized a new signer on a LOCKED account. My daughter did NOT request to be a signer and this is NOT A NEW PRIMARY ACCOUNT. 

Called Citibank requesting who had access to my LOCKED savings account, how did my daughter 's name get on this and why is it being referred to as a " new primary account ''. After the initial call was dropped, the new agent gave me the number of the account fraud dept with an option number to choose, but that department was closed and I would have to call the next day. The next morning I called again, first call dropped after 30 min hold, 2nd call agent ended call saying I would get a " code '' in an email for something .... XXXX XXXX XXXX from the fraud dept said my other daughter, XXXX XXXX was listed as the new signee on the account. They seemed to have no idea how this happened and would investigate. 
Have not heard from Citibank since.

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