Consumer complaint received 2021-06-05
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a fraudulent text message, followed by a fraudulent phone call, from someone purporting to be Citbank fraud protection. They had my debit card number and asked me to confirm some more info to stop a so-called fraudulent transaction, cancel my debit card, and mail me a new debit card. The man used the exact language that Citibank 's fraud protection uses, and asked for the same information that they ask for. 

A few minutes later, I began receiving hundreds of emails to the email associated with my Citibank accounts, and buried in the middle of them were notifications from Citi that wire transfers had been initiated out of my checking account. I immediately went on my online app and was able to stop two transfers, for {$1200.00} and {$1000.00}, but three transfers had already been completed, for {$1200.00}, {$1200.00}, and {$1200.00}. 

I tried calling Citi and was placed on a hold, and then drove to the nearest branch. The accounts employee and I waited on hold together for the fraud department, but were unable to reach anyone during the several hours I was at the branch. We closed my savings account, blocked the checking account, and opened new accounts for me, into which I transferred the remaining money in my accounts. 

I went home and waited on hold for more than two hours again and reached no one in the fraud department before it closed for the day. I called back the next day and waited over two hours again, and finally reached a supervisor, who gave me the case ID for the fraud. I was also provided with the routing number and account number the money was wire transferred to : Acct. XXXX, Rtg. XXXX. The name on the account was XXXX XXXX. I was informed that if the funds were not still available on the other end, I would likely not receive the funds back. 

I filed a police report with the XXXX XXXX Police Department, and an FBI report with IC3.gov. I've since been contacted by a police department in South Carolina, who had received my report from SFPD, letting me know that the institution in question, XXXX Bank ( possibly XXXX, they merged ) was actually in XXXX XXXX, Florida, so the report would be transferred there. I spoke with Citi 's fraud department yesterday, who told me that the institution confirmed the funds were no longer available, and Citi told me I will not be refunded. 

The stolen money was my loan to hold me over while I'm unemployed for two months in preparation to take the California Bar Exam, which takes place at the end of XXXX XXXX  It was intended to make this process less harrowing. Citibank has done exactly the opposite of that, even going so far as to blame me for the fraud, despite the fact that the fraudsters had my account information ; that I have NEVER authorized a wire transfer into or out of any of my accounts, let alone 5 in quick succession ; and that I have been a customer since XXXX. I have spent countless hours on hold or being transferred around, trying to get more information about my case, only to be told that Citi refuses to refund me.

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