Consumer complaint received 2018-07-14
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: UT
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I am contacting your agency regarding a recent freeze of my checking and savings accounts by Citibank. Through numerous recorded phone conversations, I have been provided misinformation, outright lies, and been treated with a cavalier disrespect and been made to feel like I am a criminal. I have never felt so humiliated and anguished with regard to being berated by phone service representatives who treat me as if I have committed fraud. 


This relates to Citibanks internal file numbers that were provided to me # XXXX and # XXXX During the week ofXX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I had my backpack stolen/misplaced/taken without my knowledge. The contents of my backpack contained my primary cell phone, my checkbook ( I had possession of my wallet, it was only my checkbook left in my backpack ), and other personal effects. I switched phones and got a new number and as part of my efforts to protect myself, I contacted my bank ( Citibank ) because they were the only financial institution for who I had my account and routing number at risk. 
When I called in on XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX at XXXX MST to report my issue and request the options that were available, the representative explained that the only way to resolve my issue was for me to apply for a brand new account, and transfer the money from the old account to the new one. She was adamant in explaining that they do not simply change the account number but that it has to be fully closed out. I explained that I had moved and never updated my address. I let her know that I needed to do that, as well that I preferred to open the account online myself ( I have a preference for reading the disclosures and materials myself ), and advised her that I would call back upon getting the new account established. The only two items that were changed on my account, were my phone number ( updated a day or so prior, and my new address ). I did not change my confirmed email address listed on my account where I have received and continue to receive notifications. 


After establishing a new checking account I called back into Citibank on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX MST and explained to the representative that I was ready to close out the compromised account and transfer the remaining funds out to the new account. She provided assistance with my request and linked my old debit card to my new accounts per my request not to have to wait for a new card to have access to my account. 
XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX MST I received a call from Citibank from XXXX, she asked me to verify information to speak with me and then she told me they just wanted to confirm my new account request. I confirmed and the representative told me everything would be processed fine. That afternoon I decided that I would consolidate my external accounts and bring my funds to Citibank, I called in because the system would not allow me to open and link a savings account online, and I wanted to ensure my accounts were linked together. I contacted Citibank at XXXX at XXXX MST and a seemingly disinterested/frustrated sales representative filled out the application for me and advised that it would take 2-3 business days for the account opening to be processed and a savings account number to be generated. Immediately after ending my conversation with him, I signed into my account and the savings account was already activated and the system allowed me to transfer funds within Citibank from my checking account in order to fund my savings account. 


XX/XX/XXXX I was contacted by Citibank at XXXX from XXXX. A man who claimed to be from a verification/fraud team told me that I was required to verify my address and that I would get an email with the details on how to send in a copy of my utility bill. I asked him if my accounts were in a restricted status or if I was free to move in assets from my primary bank or if I were able to move money out ( I pay specific bills out of my Citibank checking ). He told me that my account was fine to do that, but in order to fully activate and keep using that I needed to send in a utility bill to verify my address. I explained to him that I was an existing Citibank client and had a checking relationship already. I made it clear that this was not a random new account opening but that I only opened it because they refused to change the number on my old account for me. He brushed me off and explained that I need to send in a fax with my utility bill. I confirmed with him that I would receive an email and he confirmed. So I waited patiently and as the end of the business day neared in EST, I was worried. So I called Citibank back at XXXX MST. I spoke with a representative who told me that they do not send out emails. I was confused because all calls are recorded and I directed her to pull that pull call to confirm that I was told on their recorded line what the process would be. I explained to her that he asked me for my utility bill and no other form of ID nor Social Security card. I explained to her that I had sent in documents the first time when I opened my account at Citibank a year or so ago ( the one ending in XXXX that I was forced to close recently and made to open a new account ). I expressed my frustration and she told me that the only thing that was needed was my utility bill and she provided me with a fax number. At XXXX MST on XX/XX/XXXX I was contacted by the male fraud verification specialist from the phone call earlier that morning. It was at this time, he changed his story and said that he needed my ID as well as my Social Card and my Utility Bill. I explained to him that I had already gone through this kind verification when I first started my relationship with Citibank and faxing takes days of back and forth with good copies vs. bad copies. The only reason I had to do that when I first opened my accounts was because I had a personally requested security freeze on my credit files. I have long since removed that freeze and the male representative kept saying that he needed new documents because I had my checkbook compromised. He was giving me false information and creating an issue where there was none, in order to harass and bully me as an overzealous fraud account representative who was clearly ill-trained on how to review a clients previous history with the bank or review all the factors. He advised me to go to a branch for help. There are no Citibank branches where I live now. Not a single solitary one. He ( nor any other representative that Ive spoken with ) should have never continued to direct me to nonexistent branches. I asked him to perform the over the phone verification method using my public data questions that theyve asked me before for verification and he told me no. Then I asked him to send me a prepaid XXXX   envelope to my home and set up a pick up as well. He again told me no. I made it clear to him that Ive gone through this process before and I was not going to allow him to lie to me about what was and wasnt possible. He placed me on hold to speak to his supervisor. When he came back, he said ( I dont have any way of verifying his lie ), but he told me he spoke with his supervisor and that sending a prepaid XXXX  envelope was possible. On his recorded line he said that he would have the XXXX envelope delivered to my home so that I could send back to the documents NextDay delivery. As of the date of this formal complaint I have never received the email that he told me on ( 2 ) separate recorded phone calls that I would be receiving, nor have I ever received a XXXX envelope. 


When I went through verification the first time a year or so ago, the fraud verification specialist had the XXXX envelope delivered to my home by XXXX the following morning and within 24hrs she had the restrictions removed and activated my account. This current antagonistic time frame and misinformation the representative ( and  Citibank ), is pressing upon me to simply deal with, is an absolutely unacceptable business practice and poor ethics. 


As a last resort prior to filing a formal complaint, I attempted to follow their request for a faxed copy of my documents. I sent them 3 fax attempts that included my Drivers license, my Social Security Card, my Birth Certificate, along with a billing statement for my apartment ( the units are all inclusive so my utilities are billed with my rent and it breaks it down on the form ). I was contacted at by Citibank at XXXX from XXXX and told by the representative that the documents were not clear enough to be processed for account activation and she said that the Apartment billing statement was not clear to read the numbers off of the statement. However she went on to say that the statement was not from within a 30 day time frame and that it can not show a past due balance. The billing statement was for my bill that was due onXX/XX/XXXX and because residents pay our rent, utilities, and association fees in advance ; any statement generated will always have a balance listed to be paid. It seemed as if she was requesting a XXXX balance due statement. But if the statement was not clear to read the numbers off, then how could so much detail be given about what I would need to resubmit? 


I find it unfathomable that I could be a customer of the bank for so long and be treated so poorly or be made to go through this process. If there was a credible concern with regard to my identity, then a proper analysis should have been performed without any effort nor inconvenience to me as a client. Proper fraud analysis would yield the data confirming my voice matches all of the previous recorded calls that they have retained on file for all of my calls into Citibank within the past year. I sign into account from the same network, my logins match my consistent devices used because I only use two personal devices to access my financial accounts, all of the purchases on my account take place within a 7-10mile radius of my home, and the residence that I listed on my account as my new address is the same residence that I paid monthly out of my checking account ( the one ending in XXXX that I closed this week ). 


After days of being told that I would still have access to my accounts, ( and I have signed on daily to confirm that status ), the representative on XX/XX/XXXX told me that the fraud verification team has in fact placed a block on my accounts and while it my accounts showed cleared before, now my accounts provide me with a red banner telling me that they are frozen. I have specific bills that were paid automatically monthly out of the account I recently closed, and per the instructions of their phone representatives, I made sure to set up those payments out of the new checking out and because I kept my debit card I have not changed my automatic payments. My financial transactions like any client, are rooted in consistency, my expectation is that my accounts are unfrozen to allow for activity without any further grievance to me. It is with gross ineptitude that this situation has been handled. I am stunned and most of all hurt that representatives see that my accounts are restricted, understand the reason Ive contacted Citibank, and then have the audacity to try and sell me products like loans. Why would I want to take out a loan with a bank that goes from treating me like rock star for a year to a complete criminal overnight? Its both shocking and disappointing to say the least. If I wanted a poor banking experience, then I would do business with XXXX XXXX. I expect more from my bank, hence why I do business with Citibank. 
I have not taken my issue public with regard to contacting Citibank any social media news platform because I have a sincere interest in having my issue resolved privately and continuing my relationship with them preferably as my primary financial institution. Having been treated so disrespectfully, by a fraud verification specialist who apparently has taken a genuine interest to bully and humiliate me, I am appalled and require an immediate activation of my accounts, an internal review of the failed processes that have led up to my complaint, as well as an apology from Citibanks executive office. No client at any bank should be forced to endure this kind of unwarranted attack from their bank after experiencing an already distressing personal event. My expectation of my financial services firm is that they protect me by performing due diligence while exercising common sense analysis of a situation. 


Thank you respectfully for your time and review of my concerns.

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