Consumer complaint received 2019-05-29
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NV
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I opened a checking account online on XX/XX/2019 and on XX/XX/2019 I went into a branch to deposit a check from my insurance company in the amount of {$2100.00}. The check cleared on XX/XX/2019 and the funds were available for me to withdraw. I logged into my account through the Citibank website and used their wire option to have {$2000.00} wired from my account into my step-mother 's account. I received an secured message from Citibank informing me that I needed to call them to verify some information before the wire transfer could be processed. The message said I could call 24/7 to resolve the delay. I called the number I was provided and was told my account was being handled by their " Special Investigations Department '' and that I would need to call back during regular business hours. On XX/XX/2019, I called in the morning as instructed. After speaking to a representative, I was told I needed to speak to a different department, so I was placed on hold and then transferred. The representative I was transferred to collected my account information, placed me on hold, and told me that my account was being handled by another department and that she was going to have to transfer me again. I was transferred to another department, spoke to the representative and gave him my information and I was placed on hold. The representative told me that I needed to speak to a different department regarding the matter, but that I would have to call back during regular business hours because the department was not open on weekends. Later that afternoon, I received another secured message advising me that my new debit card was mailed out to my address. A debit card had already been mailed out on XX/XX/2019, so I was confused as to why another debit card was being mailed out. I called customer service to inquire but was told I needed to verify my account. I provided all of my account information, including social security number, account number, last 4 digits of debit card, debit card pin number, mother 's maiden name, etc. The representative informed me that in order to be verified for my account they would need to send me a code to my cell phone. The representative informed me that they could not send a code to the cell phone number I provided. The representative transferred me to another department to see if there was a possible way and I could be verified another way. When I spoke to that representative they asked me if I could provide them with another cell phone number that they could try to send the code to, I provided two more additional cell phone numbers but was told they could not verify it. I was asked to provide another cell phone number if I could, and so I did, but again I was told that they could not verify it. The representative told me that she was going to call me back on the landline phone number associated with my account to verify me that way. I did not understand that because we were already talking on the landline phone associated with my account. I waited for the representative to contact me back and she did, but she informed me that she could not verify me because my phone needed to be in my name. If I would have known that I needed to have a phone in my name in order to have any access to my checking account, I would have made sure I had one before applying for a checking account with Citibank. When I applied for the checking account with Citibank, the requirements did not say anything about customers needing to have a phone in their own name. Obviously that was not a requirement otherwise Citibank would not have opened my account. Since I did not have a phone that was under my name, they said I could not be verified and I was blocked from accessing my account. Before the close of the day, I contacted Citibank again because I was in need of my funds and I didn't want to wait until after Sunday and the XXXX holiday to try and get access to my account. The representative told me that she was going to verify me for my account by asking me several different questions for me to verify my identity. Each question I was asked regarding my identity was in the form of multiple choice questions. I answered all of the questions correctly and verified my identity. Since I verified everything successfully, the representative told me she was going to transfer my call to get a one-time verification code for my account and have the blocks on my account removed, but when she transferred me, the representative she transferred me to informed me that I could not be verified for my account just because I successfully answered the identification verification questions. I was told I could not be verified for my account any further. Frustrated, I called Citibank back again to speak with a supervisor, but the representative I spoke with told me that I had been verified for my account and that the block alerts that were on my account had been removed, so I never requested to speak to a supervisor. I logged into my account online and re-requested the wire transfer like I had done before for the {$2000.00}. As soon as I made the request my account was blocked again. I contacted Citibank and was told I could not be verified for my account and therefore could not access my account, my online account access had also been blocked. I was told that I could not make wire transfer transactions on my account and that I would need to wait to receive my ATM/debit card in the mail to withdraw funds in my account. On XX/XX/2019, I received my ATM/debit card in the mail. I called Citibank and spoke to a representative to activate the card so I could access my funds. The representative activated my card and told me that my funds were available for access. I went to the ATM, but it would not let me withdraw funds and it instructed me to call customer service. I called customer service and was told that my account was under review and that I would have to wait to receive either a phone call or an email message from them letting me know when they're done with their review. I am being treated very unfairly and have been denied access to the funds in my account since XX/XX/2019.

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