Consumer complaint received 2020-12-14
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
Dear CFPB Representative, XXXX XX/XX/2020 I received an automated email from Citibank saying that as of XX/XX/2020, my account XXXX XXXX ) had a balance of {$2400.00}. This made me worried since I knew I have over {$5000.00} on my account. When I logged in to my Citibank App it showed I only had {$5.00} on the account. There were four unauthorized XXXX transfers on my account. I called a representative and immediately let them know about fraudulent charges ( totaling {$5000.00} ) on my account and was told that she submitted the claim to the Disputes department. 

Right after talking to the Citibank representative, I called my co-signer ( XXXX XXXX ) on the account and let him know about the fraudulent activity as well. When he checked his main Citibank account : XXXX. He found out that his account has been compromised as well, and there was an unauthorized Citibank transfer. After talking to a Citibank representative, he found out that someone opened an additional fraudulent Citibank account using his information and linked his main account to theirs. Later the fraud department mailed a letter to XXXX confirming that there was a fraudulent account indeed, which they ended up closing. Several days after that, XXXX reported identity theft and placed a credit watch alert. 

Coming back to the initial case, other than XXXX transfers, there were also ACH  transfers out of my account, however, those funds got bounced back, as I didnt have enough funds on my account. In addition, before the thieves made their third XXXX transfer from my account, they moved {$100.00} from XXXX 's main account, I suppose so that they could have a round amount to transfer out. 

To sum up, both on my joint account with XXXX and on his account, there was fraudulent activity, all during the same two days. 

In addition, several days after I discovered the fraudulent activity, I received a letter in my mailbox from Citibank, dated as of XX/XX/XXXX, that there was an address change on my joint account. This again has never been authorized neither by me nor by XXXX. When speaking to the Citibank representative they said that the address change was authorized by someone who presented themselves as XXXX, they didn't specify if it was done online via his account or via the phone. 

Despite the overwhelming evidence of the fraudulent activity on both accounts, Citibank representatives reversed and refunded all the charges other than the XXXX XXXX, which totaled {$5000.00}. They said that they do not have sufficient information to believe that we didn't authorize those transfers and that we need to direct the complaint to the receiver. 

I and XXXX reached out to the police department and we have the investigation report, however, they said that due to Covid-19 related work backlogs, we can't hope for the investigation to happen anytime soon and that it might take up to a year to reach the XXXX funds receivers. 

We have spent numerous hours on the phone with Citibank representatives, having to wait on hold, and never able to talk directly to the people working on the case, but only to leave messages via the general customer service representatives. Eventually, after investigating our case for a few months, they twice rejected our refund request. 

Finally, XXXX faxed a request to Citibank to receive all the paperwork related to their investigation, but they never mailed it, even though they are required by law.

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