Consumer complaint received 2023-06-02
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: PA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On XX/XX/23 We were contacted by the Delaware State Police ( Corporal Cavannah ) and informed that someone had tried to access our account ( twice ) on that day to withdraw {$6500.00} and {$7200.00} at two different Citizens Bank branches in that State. They did so by using a fake ID in my husbands name ( XXXX XXXX ) Using Citizens protocol they were able to determine that he was not my Husband ( the joint account holder ) and upon the second attempt, the police were called and this man was arrested and charged with ( 7 ) felonies. We immediately checked our account and found that {$6500.00} was withdrawn from a Citizens Bank in XXXX XXXX NJ on XX/XX/23. This was not the accounting holders and took place in another state as we live and bank in XXXX We immediately informed Citizens Bank of this and asked that they told us that they would note the account add additional security to our account and connected us with their Fraud Department who took the rest of the information and told us to contact our XXXX XXXX on Monday XX/XX/23 and to close that account and open another checking account. On XX/XX/23 We also then filed a police report at the behest of the Delaware XXXX Police. On XX/XX/23 at XXXX am I received a call from Citizens Bank in XXXX NJ ( XXXX - XXXX XXXX she informed me that someone had also tried to withdrawal funds from their bank using the same ID but that following Citizens protocol this person was refused ( He did not know basic information about the account holder ) they were able to look on their outside camera and see this person getting into a truck with the wrong tag number and recognized the truck from previous efforts to access other accounts at the bank. They noted this information in the system. At XXXX am I again checked my balance and immediately saw that there was another {$15000.00} missing from our account. I immediately spoke with our local branch ( XXXX XXXX PA - XXXX ) and he was able to see that this was a wire transfer attempt through the ACH system and he was able to put a an immediate hold on the transfer and pull the transaction back. Our Account was put on hold until we could get into the bank that day. By Early afternoon we had filed a separate report with our local police department ( XXXX XXXX PA ) and opened a new Checking and savings account with Citizens. However, we were told while these two issues were pending ( the {$6500.00} theft and {$15000.00} attempted theft ) we would not be able to close the original checking account. Instead, they were going to put the account on hold. We also spoke with XXXX XXXX of the Delaware State Police and she reported the additional attempted theft and theft to the Delaware XXXX. Since that time we received a total of XXXX letter the week of XX/XX/23, one asking us to provide a written complaint for the theft of the {$6500.00}, one erroneously claiming that the {$15000.00} attempted wire FROM our account was somehow a DEPOSIT issue ( giving them the right to hold that {$15000.00} until the beginning of XXXX and one letting us know they were investigating the matter. None of these letters gave us a contact person or investigators name. None of the money has been returned to the account at any time. The hold on that account has been lifted twice ( they told us that they can only hold the account a certain amount of days ( they never tell us it is lifted, leaving us to check every day and request it be attached again ) .Despite 29 subsequent calls, we have not been given a single piece of information about the investigation or when our money will be returned to our account. Despite 6 additional calls to our local branch they are not able to provide us with any additional information. We have never been contacted by an investigator or any person from the bank. It has now been 55 days since the {$6500.00} was stolen from the bank in Mt XXXX NJ and we have never been contacted by the State Police or Citizens about this issue. It has been 53 days since the {$15000.00} was NOT taken from the bank because WE caught the issue and had it stopped, and we still have not had that money returned to our account although Citizens does have access to OUR money. We have the continued concern that this now compromised account ( that we can not close ) is a springboard to our other accounts and the ONLY protection from this is the same security that failed to protect our funds in the first place. We really need help to address this issue. Please let us know if you need account statements or other identifying information. Under the circumstances, we didnt want to include them in a preliminary complaint, but will be happy to provide them upon request and under separate cover. Thanks

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief