Consumer complaint received 2021-03-17
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
__My Citybank checking Account has been blocked since XX/XX/XXXX. I was later told that was a precautionary measure against possible fraud, the detail of which I was never informed of. 
__ I opened the account at the XXXX XXXX in California in XX/XX/XXXX. I received a debit card and started depositing and withdrawing without trouble, until mid-XX/XX/XXXX. ( I was even entitled to a new credit card. I can still access to my online bank and credit accounts. ) _ I did receive my new checkbook and other starting documents at my residence in XX/XX/XXXX, and did return the certificate of my signature by fax on XX/XX/XXXX. That at least verified my identity and address. ( See the attached fax transmission report. ) __Contacting with the banks fraud department several times never worked. Never knew why a fraud was suspected. 
__My web-based XXXX XXXX phone number was not accepted for verification purpose. On XX/XX/XXXX, they said that they would send a verification letter by land mail. But it never arrived. 
XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I complained with the fraud department, and they said sorry and made sure to send the letter, which again never arrived. 
XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I filed an official complaint at the banks dispute managing chat room ( See the attached ). They said their dedicated team will resolve the issue at the earliest, and promised to notify me by call or mail. Nothing happened. 
XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted the chat room again and was told the same thing : contact the fraud department. Seemed nobody can check the fraud department : as this is a fraud block we do not have the access to verify the account. I exhausted what I could do within the bank system. 

It is outrageous that I can not use my bank account in this difficult pandemic time. I can not even move to a different place because I need to wait for what is called verification letter. The work to prevent a fraud is important, but they should equally be cautious not to punish innocent customers. Even though each customer support is polite and eager to help, the banks system seems not working. See the details below with contact persons names. 

DETAILS : MidXXXX, XXXX Several attempts on different days to deposit my check at my branch ATM failed. 

XX/XX/XXXX Contacted my branch and I was told that my account was blocked as a precautious measure against possible fraud. The branch personnel helped me to call the fraud department, but did not go through. 

XX/XX/XXXX I called the fraud department XXXX and XXXX. I was told that my account was blocked because I had not returned a verification letter. I searched a bunch of documents mailed from the bank, and found I did not return the certificate of my signature. I immediately faxed it from a nearby XXXX XXXX  to the Citibank Client Services in XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX XXXX ) at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. See the attached copy of the transmission receipt. 

XX/XX/XXXX With my account still blocked, I called the fraud department again. I was still told I had not returned the verification letter, which seemed different from the certificate of my signature. I asked them to re-send the letter, and they agreed. 

Then waited, waited, and waited .... 

XX/XX/XXXX With no letter having arrived from the bank, I called the fraud department once again to find what happened. They asked for my " reference number '' or " filing number. '' I didn't have such numbers and didnt know what they meant. I could not even start a conversation. I rushed to my branch and talked with the branch manager XXXX XXXX ( Now I decided to keep record of contact names ). He was eager to help and called the fraud department for me. I talked with XXXX ( or XXXX ) on the phone. She wanted to text to my cell phone to verify my identity. But my web-based XXXX XXXX number does not work without Wi-Fi. XXXX suggested to call from a place with WIFI connection. From home, I called and talked with XXXX from the fraud department. She said my web-based phone number did not work for verification purpose. Instead, she said she can send a verification code by land mail. It seemed like I had the same process already, but anyway I asked her definitely send it this time for sure. ( I can not afford for a real cell phone. A net-based, WIFI-base free XXXX XXXX phone is good enough for me, a XXXX  old man. ) And waited, waited, and waited ... The letter never arrived. I had to start an official complaint process. 

XX/XX/XXXX I filed an official complaint at the banks dispute managing chat room, under the FAQ : How do I manage a dispute on my account? ( See the attached complaint letter. ) XXXX responded. She confirmed that the bank received my signature certificate fax on XX/XX/XXXX. She could not confirm if the verification letters were sent to me, because they would have been sent from the fraud department and we do not have access to it. She suggested me to contact the fraud department. I said I dont want to repeat the same process three times and that I can not wait for their letter forever. She promised that she would capture the complaint so that this will be resolved by our dedicated team at the earliest. She also said that I should receive the notification by call or mail. 

XX/XX/XXXX - Again, with nothing happened and no call/mail came, I contacted the chat room again to talk to XXXX. XXXX responded instead. He was polite but repeated the same thing : contact the fraud department. He said, I wish I could sort this for you but as this is a fraud block we do not have the access to verify the account, am so sorry. 

Now it is clear that other departments can not check the fraud department. I exhausted what I could do within the bank system. I may have been too patient with what happened or hadnt happen. I had no way but file a complaint with the third-party agencies. Preventing frauds is an important task, but you have to be equally very cautious not to damage innocent customers. I also have a right to hear what precautions I need if strangers tried to do something bad using my account.

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