Consumer complaint received 2020-04-14
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: IL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
I opened up a savings/checking account with CitiBank after receiving a flier for one of their promotions. Open and maintain a balance of {$15000.00} for a few months then you will receive {$400.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I opened this account at their XXXX XXXX branch ( Illinois ). I deposited the {$15000.00}. I was told to put some money in checking and came back on XXXXto deposit {$100.00} into checking account. It was reiterated that whatever I do, do not allow the balance to fall below {$15000.00} or I would not be eligible for the promotion. I regularly bank with XXXX, so there would be no transactions on this account until I was eligible for my promotion. Shortly after the establishment of this account, ACH electronic debit transactions occurred to a XXXX XXXX credit card. Dates & amounts : XX/XX/XXXX - {$4000.00} ; XXXX- {$4100.00} ; and XXXX {$2000.00}. A total of {$10000.00} of fraudulent, unauthorized charges from my savings account, leaving me with a balance of {$4800.00}. 
No red flags or security alerts sent to a brand new customer of a promotion account who is supposed to keep their balance of {$15000.00}, but now they are over {$10000.00} short only a few weeks after opening their account? No red flags as to why I would be paying a credit card that does not belong to me or match the name on my account? That is the first time Citi has failed me. Forward to XXXX of XXXX, all of a sudden I realize- wait! I never received a monthly statement from CitiBank for my promotion account..maybe the the statements are quarterly or its different because this is a promotion account? On XX/XX/XXXX, I go into the bank and sit down with the gentleman ( XXXX XXXX ) who opened my account. He seemed taken back that I was sitting at his desk. I said, " Hi, I am here to check on my account, because I should be close to receiving my promotion, and actually I never received a statement from Citi nor did I receive the debit card you sent. '' He told me he reordered the debit card and didn't know why I never received it and tried to send me on my way. I said, " No, I actually need to see a copy of my statement because I never received one. '' He reluctantly printed it off and again tried to send me on my way ... until my heart sank when I saw the balance read $ XXXX.I immediately started shaking and crying, and he told me " well that has to be your credit card. '' I said, this is absolutely not my credit card- you know I put this money here for the promotion and was not going to touch it. I said what do I do, and he told me when I get home to call this number and dispute the charges. I said, no I would like to do that here. He went over to the manager at the other desk and she seemed annoyed with him and told him he knows what to do- she never approached me to offer assistance. I made the dispute while at the bank and before leaving, he tried to sell m e on their credit card ( while I was shaking and in tears ). I left for home to tell my husband what had happened. My husband was furious and couldn't believe this happened. He insisted we go back to the bank to get clarification of this process from the manager. 

We sat at the managers ( XXXX XXXX ) desk and she told us that 1 ) a debit card was never ordered for me - ( so why did the guy tell me he reordered it? ) 2 ) when we asked her why I never received any alerts or statements..she told me that I was receiving online statements - I told her I never signed up for online statements, nor did I ever receive email notifications that an online statement was now available. ***After investigating on my own- I later find out from multiple customer support agents at Citi, that I was NEVER signed up for paperless statements, and that I was strictly supposed to be receiving mailed  statements. I've even confirmed that they have my proper address, email and phone number ( all information was correct ). I NEVER received a statement from them. Until I complained to customer service and their dispute department for over a month and a half ... what do you know- my first statement finally arrived on XX/XX/XXXX. There is no explanation on their behalf. But what this immediately tells me, and others, is that there is internal fraud happening here. There was a reason those charges weren't flagged and that Citi didn't provide any security measures/contact me to verify charges. There was a reason I didn't receive a statement in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX or XXXX. 

This is what Citi Bank has " done '' for me at this point. On XX/XX/XXXX when I filed the dispute, I was told I would receive provisional credit XX/XX/XXXX and that they would have to complete investigation within 35 days. XXXX, they send me a letter stating that they started the investigation ( This is the only letter or means of communication on behalf of Citi to me, their customer about this horrific experience I am dealing with ). XX/XX/XXXX comes and we go to the bank- there is no provisional credit- The manager, XXXX, makes a call and gets no answers. However, she promised that this is a process ( understandable ) but that as long as the credit card does not belong to us, that we would get our money back. My husband at that time asked if we should call the police, and she insisted that it wasn't necessary, that they couldn't do anything and that we would get our money back. Our nerves were at ease. Time continues to go by and we don't hear anything. On XXXX XXXX, I went to the bank to withdrawal {$4500.00} as tensions surrounding the pandemic were beginning to build and my husbands business ( XXXX industry ) was starting to get hit. I saw XXXX again and she reassured me I will get my money back. I have made countless calls to customer service- all with the same answer " you should be getting a letter on 5-7 days '' or they are still working on this. Unless I call them, there is no contact. How do I even know they are working on this? Throughout the month of XXXX, I have called, left messages for XXXX and left countless emails - no returned calls or emails. I have no point of contact on this scary issue. An issue that is keeping me up at night, making me sick to my stomach. In the meantime, I had filled out a random customer survey I received after one of my many calls to customer support. I reported my bad experiences. I received a call XX/XX/XXXX from the survey dept., to find out more. The lady seemed genuinely concerned and said she will try to expedite my case. She even told me that, " yes, they know it is fraud, and that the card belongs to a " XXXX XXXX ''. '' This is new information to me. On XX/XX/XXXX, the woman calls me back ( unheard of in this company ) to tell me that she's sorry but they told her they were not able to receive a response from XXXX XXXX  and that they won't be returning my funds since the charges were over 60 days ago. I immediately start sobbing. As XXXX the bank manager told us that {$10000.00} is nothing and that they work with big XXXX dollar accounts ... It might seem minuscule to Citi, but it is an extreme amount for my young family. I am XXXX, my husband is XXXX and we have XXXX XXXX XXXX. Due to the pandemic, we currently have no income and have been deeply impacted financially. Our {$10000.00} is imperative to our family 's well-being. Citi has not expressed any care nor have they provided any communication or level of customer support. So now all of a sudden they say they can't return my money? The survey lady escalates to the executive response unit on XX/XX/XXXX. It is XX/XX/XXXX and I have yet to hear from anyone. I never received a letter that the case was concluded. 

I took my first step, and made a police report with XXXX XXXX PD. I am working with an investigator who is trying to help me. He told me I am a victim of fraud on behalf of Citi Bank- how are they going to make me whole? I call XX/XX/XXXX for an update ... this is when I find out that no one is working on this case. The supervisor offers to open an appeal to the case considering the new information of the police report/involvment and she said this can change the outcome of my case ... .Interesting that the bank manager told us not to call the cops and that they would not be able to help us. So a new investigation has begun, and she has also requested provisional funds considering the situation. She promised that I would get a call back From executive level today on XX/XX/XXXX. It is almost XXXX cst and I have yet to receive a call. I feel like no one is listening to me and I am trying to get tossed to the side. I shouldn't have to wait another 45 days for an investigation with XXXX XXXX, when my issue at this point is with Citi Bank. Citi Bank failed me. They did not send me statements. If I had received a statement, I would have noticed the transactions right away and would have taken action. If I was alerted of suspicious charges and asked to authorize, this would have never happened. Why did I not receive statements? On their statements it says you have 60 days from when we send you a statement to dispute charges ... well I received my first statement form them on XX/XX/XXXX! As a victim of fraud with Citi Bank, there are too many inconsistencies. I am either a victim of internal fraud ( taking advantage of promotional accounts where customers are not supposed to touch funds until they are eligible for promotion- how many other promotional accounts are being targeted? ... this account was attacked shortly after being established- how did my information get out there when I never used it..or I am a victim to Great error by CitiBank that prevented me from receiving statements, or a victim of a breach of undisclosed security where others may have compromised accounts  as well ( just 4 days ago someone reviewed that they had $ XXXX in fraud charges in XXXX and their case has still not been resolved ). There is a coverup within Citi as to why I did not receive statements or a security alert and they are trying to brush me off- they think I am a promotion account and that they will lose my " insignificant business '' so they don't care about me. They don't care that their failed systems or internal fraud has severely financially impacted my young family. I am desperate for help. My family needs that hard earned money to pay our bills and put food on the table. I am an honest and good person. I can not believe this is happening in a time like this. Please help me. I was targeted as a promotional account, and my family can not stand to lose our hard earned money to a fraud.

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