Consumer complaint received 2023-02-01
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022, I received a phone call from the official Citibank Customer Service phone number ( the same number on the back of my debit card ). The person on the line stated he was a Citibank employee named XXXX XXXX. He told me that Citi noticed fraudulent activity on my account happening in Florida ( where I used to live ). 

He proceeded to ask me questions that Citi would typically ask such as the last 4 digits of my social, my address, and later on in the call, the first 5 digits of my SSN. Although I never gave him my banking login information, he was able to get into my account with the little information he had. He mentioned that he had the names of the scammers that got into my account and asked if I wanted to press charges with the help of Citis legal department. By this point, while I was still confused by what was really going on, I was more worried about these imaginary scammers and wanted to resolve the issue. I told him yes I would like to proceed with charges and then he reconnected the phone call through a different phone number from a XXXX, Texas area code. 

The person I was on the phone with went through my bank statement transactions as if to search for more suspicious behavior he started reading out past XXXX payments that Ive authorized previously. He read off a few past XXXX payments that are monthly recurring transactions. Specifically ones that were sent to XXXX XXXX XXXX, a trusted contact in my phone. While he was going through my account I went to the Citi banking app on my phone and noticed nearly half my money was gone. I asked him what was going on but he gave me an answer that didn't really make sense. He then asked me to verify the contact of XXXX XXXX by sending a verification code to his phone number and told me to read it off to him. 

With whatever hacking technology this scammer has, he was able to use my friend 's name as the receiver of this money but changed where the money was actually being sent to. XXXX gave me a notification that the money was actually being redirected to a XXXX XXXX. I do not know this person and I am assuming this is a fake name. 

There were a total of 4 transactions. One of {$10.00}, {$4500.00}, {$2500.00}, and {$1900.00} equalling a total of {$8900.00} that he claimed I was getting my refund of from the money that disappeared. In order to send off that much money, HE created 2 new checking accounts under my profile so that I would keep sending money without a limit. 

Ive been received countless letters of denial for my claim and appeals from Citi. The scammer was able to go incognito by covering his own name and using the name of someone I trust in order to trick me into sending my money to get my refund. I want to also reiterate that this person impersonated a Citibank employee and called me from the Citi Customer Service number ( XXXX ).

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